Minnehaha Falls Short of Water Minnehaha Falls, immortalized as the “laughing waters” by Longfellow, is suffering from a water shortage so that the famous Minnehaha would scarcely get her feet wet were she to choose to cross the stream today. The bronze statue of Hiawatha carrying the dainty Indian maiden in her arms, now stands high and dry on an island in Minnehaha creek. The water no longer gushes and gurgles as it once did. Minnehaha park, mecca of thousands of tourists, is disappointing in its main attraction. The onward rush of civilization, drainage of lakes that fed the famed stream, and extremely dry weather, has virtually ended the flow of water over the falls.
