Eden Prairie, Minn. – Corrine Lynch of Eden Prairie was recently reappointed to serve a second three-year term on the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Board of Managers by the Hennepin County Commissioners. She is one of five managers on the board. Nine Mile Creek Watershed District encompasses Nine Mile Creek and many of the surrounding lakes in most of Edina and Bloomington, and portions of Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, Hopkins and Richfield. Since it was started in 1956, its mission has been to maintain and enhance water quality and protect residents from flooding.

"I consider it a privilege to be on the board and think it is a wonderful activity. I encourage more people to run. Frankly, I was unaware of the watershed board in 1999, when the mother of one of my son’s friends told me about the open position. Today, when these positions are open, more people are applying. So somehow, we have successfully communicated that the Watershed District Board of Managers exists, and that we are vital to protecting our water resources for today and for future generations. Serving on the board is a nice way to give back to one’s community. We have become more visible, and this is part of our function to educate the public on how we can protect our water," Lynch says.

"I’ve always been interested in environmental things, especially having to do with water. Starting when I was about 10 years old, we would head North from Edina and take family canoe trips to the Boundary Water Canoe Area every summer. My two sisters, my brother and I loved being on the water. My dad was a fishing guide on Lake Seagull, and he also helped with the wilderness cottages at the end of the Gun Flint Trail," says Lynch.

She has continued the Boundary Water canoe tradition with her four children, and goes up for about a week every August with them, which is the "highlight of our summer," she says.

Lynch is an attorney who practices primarily in the areas of family law, probate, estate planning and real estate law. She and her husband, Mike, previously lived for almost 15 years in Willmar, where he was the county attorney and she was the assistant county attorney. "In out-state Minnesota, we dealt with many water issues relating to agriculture and drainage ditches," she notes. In Willmar, Lynch served as a school board member and was chair of the planning commission. She received her bachelor’s degree in English and her law degree from the University of Minnesota. As a Hennepin County Master Gardener, Lynch is particularly interested in flowers, grasses and other plants and how they work with rain water to cleanse water runoff before it reaches the area rivers, creeks and streams. Lynch is a book club member, an avid traveler, and a guardian ad litem - protecting the rights of children in court.

"I would really encourage people to come to the volunteer Citizens’ Advisory Committee meetings and the Manager’s meetings to learn about volunteer activities and opportunities. Then, you can decide how you would like to participate," says Lynch.

Residents of the District are invited to attend the Nine Mile Creek Board of Manager’s regular meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Edina City Hall in the City Council Chambers. The Nine Mile Creek Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC), chaired by Geoff Nash, welcomes participation from anyone interested in water issues. The CAC also meets the third Wednesday of each month in the same location, but at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.ninemilecreek.org

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