About the LMCD

Water Patrol

The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District has a Joint and Cooperative Agreement with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol Unit provides law enforcement services on Lake Minnetonka. This includes policing and enforcement of Chapter III of LMCD Code of ordinances “Regulation of Watercraft and Other Craft and Vehicles.”  The Water Patrol also polices and enforces all state laws regulating the conduct of activity on the lake. Working cooperatively with the LMCD, the Water Patrol licenses all special events on Lake Minnetonka.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol Unit is responsible for all water-related incidents within the county. The unit performs the statutory duties of law enforcement on waterways and actively patrols the 104 lakes and three rivers in the county. Responsibilities include responding to near-drownings, drownings, and watercraft accidents.

The Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol provides specialty services such as ice rescue, swift water rescue and airborne rescue. The unit has many specialized pieces of equipment including watercraft, snowmobiles, side scan and stationary sonar, ATVs and cold water emersion suits.

In addition to the deputies who serve in the Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol, the unit has highly-trained volunteers who are called, special deputies. Water Patrol special deputies volunteer their time to patrol the county’s waterways and they are on-call 24 hours a day, ready to assist when the people of Hennepin County need help.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Water Patrol
4141 Shoreline Dr
Spring Park, MN 55384
612-596-9880 (Office)
763-525-6216 (Non-Emergency/After Hours)
For emergencies, call 911
Email: sheriff.waterpatrol@co.hennepin.mn.us
Website: http://www.waterpatrol.org/

Unit Commander: Lt. Steve Hartig