From rain gardens to composting, the environment is at the forefront of our commitment to improving the lives of our residents and the surrounding communities. Find out more about our environmental projects and enterprises.
The SMSC reintroduced bison to the land in 2024 with the arrival of 11 animals, followed by the addition of one bull in 2025, marking a significant step in restoring this culturally important species to Dakota homelands. The Bison team manages the herd, offers bison buggy tours for Community Members, and distributes bison meat exclusively to Community Members to support access to healthy, traditional foods. This work strengthens food sovereignty and food security while reconnecting the Community with long‑standing land‑based practices.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 ChargePoint chargers (4 plugs)
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 ChargePoint Chargers
Officially opening in summer 2025, Dakota Prairie Composting (DPC) is a forward‑thinking operation that uses innovative technology to turn organic materials (food scraps, yard waste, etc.) into high‑quality soil amendment that supports healthy landscapes across the Community while dramatically reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. This work not only diverts significant volumes of material from the waste stream but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainable resource management and circular‑economy principles.
The Dakotah Meadows RV Park encourages its guests to recycle with recycling bins strategically placed around the park.
Dakotah! Sport and Fitness hosts a 32,000-square-foot green roof, 16 solar panels for solar water heating, rain gardens, and recycled benches, as well as 14,000 square feet of VAST permeable composite pavers installed along the parking lot center aisle and at the entrance of the facility. The pavers are made from 95% recycled tire rubber and plastics—every 1,000 square feet of VAST permeable composite pavers saves 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles from landfills. All VAST permeable composite pavers can also be removed if needed, and recycled into new pavers.
Inside the ice center, waste heat is captured and reused to warm the ice rink seating. The rain gardens surrounding Dakotah! Sport and Fitness prevent stormwater runoff and provide a habitat for butterflies and other pollinators. From atop its green roof, you can see the many skylights built to maximize natural light. LED lighting inside means energy usage is even further minimized. The enterprise’s deli staff work with MealConnect for food rescue, connecting surplus meals with food-insecure neighbors. In 2019, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness partnered with Mazopiya to donate nearly 3,000 meals to neighbors in need.
The Fleet Services Department works to run vehicles as cleanly as possible by adhering to EPA standards and monitoring idling, speeding, and hard starts and stops through GPS to minimize unnecessary emissions. Electric golf carts have replaced gas carts used by valet at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel as well as Dakotah Meadows RV Park.
There have been several Electric Vehicles introduced to the SMSC to make strides towards increased carbon-free energy at the SMSC.
Natural lighting and energy-efficient features are found throughout the building, including electrochromic, auto-tint SageGlass windows, which help reduce energy consumption. Around the building, there is also an abundance of restored prairie grasses.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
4 ChargePoint chargers (8 plugs)
The SMSC partners with the Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to offer energy efficiency consulting services that encourage sustainable energy use in residential homes within our Community. For existing homes, this includes detailed energy audits & improvements to things like lighting and insulation. For new homes, CEE provides passive house and Net Zero energy design & verification services at every stage of construction.
Sustainable practices in the Horticulture Department
- Increased circularity by using a recycler that specializes in tray pot recycling, a commonly used product to grow seedlings.
- Recycling polyfilm from greenhouses through program through the county
- Currently trialing biochar in perennial media and gardens to replace peat
- Strategically assign garden routes to increase efficiency and reduce fuel usage
- Phased out older string holiday lights for LED and will be utilizing timers soon to further reduce energy consumption
- Purchased an electric forklift 2026
- Follow gardening practices in native plantings that benefit the ecosystem and pollinators
- Use drought tolerant native plants in perennials beds so landscape needs less irrigation
Inventory Control helps reduce waste across SMSC enterprises by collecting plastic film to be baled and properly recycled, and by donating bulky items like furniture and TVs from renovations to local organizations and other tribes. The team also manages hard‑to‑recycle materials—including shredded playing cards, blackjack cards, pull tabs, and shrink wrap—and continuously looks for new opportunities to strengthen circularity within SMSC operations.
The Community Center has transitioned to LED lighting with some parts of the building with motion-sensing technology.
In 2025, #SMSCgives, the SMSC’s outreach program, offers ways to be a good neighbor and give back to the community. Often times this includes donating various items to be reused.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 EVolution Chargers
Beginning in 2017, the SMSC’s Little Six Casino piloted new approaches to landfill diversion. This included converting all disposables to compostable or recyclable alternatives, eliminating the use of polystyrene from the property, making recycling and composting collection available throughout the facility, and partnering with Minnesota Waste Wise to reduce pre-consumer kitchen waste (using Leanpath’s technology solutions). These combined efforts have resulted in 77% of all waste diverted from the landfill.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 ChargePoint chargers (4 plugs)
Mdewakanton Public Safety uses solar water heating, and overlooks a wetland that the SMSC restored and protects. Its garden is also one of a kind, as employees grow and harvest fresh ingredients for meals while working 24-hour shifts.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 ChargePoint and 4 Tesla chargers (4 ChargePoint plugs, 4 Tesla plugs)
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
4 Tesla chargers (4 Tesla plugs)
Sustainable transportation to Mystic Lake Casino Hotel is an important component of caring for the earth—electric car chargers and dedicated buses are available to guests, while employees are encouraged to participate in carpooling, or use dedicated bus routes and metro bus pass programs. New electric vehicle (EV) chargers were installed near Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in 2020, with more than 1,500 charging sessions to date—electrifying transportation is an important part of the SMSC’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2019, recycling efforts at the Gaming Enterprise avoided more than 2,800 tons of carbon dioxide, and composting avoided an additional 750 tons of carbon dioxide. Mystic Lake Casino Hotel guests have access to several digital newspaper publications in lieu of printed versions, saving several tons of paper waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Roughly 20 tons of obsolete building materials, such as plumbing and lighting fixtures, countertops, carpet, and wallpaper, have been donated to nonprofit organizations to date. Additionally, 80% of all waste from the 2019 Mystic Amphitheater events and Rib Fest was diverted from the landfills through recycling and composting. All disposables are recyclable or compostable. The casino floor converted all cups to a compostable option, and added recycling and composting containers throughout the casino in December 2019.
Electric car chargers await guests of Mystic Lake Center. Food waste and compostable disposables are available throughout Mystic Lake Center and are composted in the back of the house. Electrochromic, auto-tint SageGlass windows help reduce the building’s use of energy, enhances users’ comfort, and manages solar heat gains.
Public EV Chargers
Chargers:
2 ChargePoint and 4 Tesla chargers (4 ChargePoint plugs, 4 Tesla plugs)
SMSC lands provide a diverse array of habitats, including forests, prairies, and wetlands. The Land and Natural Resources Department works to conserve and protect these habitats by using holistic management practices, such as prescribed fire, grazing, and monitoring initiatives. This supports local plants, animals, and fish by providing healthy, functioning habitats.
The Natural Resources Department works to conserve and restore hundreds of acres of forests, woodlands, prairies, and wetlands every year. The SMSC uses environmentally friendly and culturally significant land management tools, such as prescribed burns that mimic naturally occurring wildfires, to help return these areas to high-functioning habitats and protect and preserve the region’s ecosystems.
In 2025, more than 5,900 trees (bur oak, sugar maple, and basswood) were planted on SMSC lands along with 99 native shrubs (chokecherry, juneberry, and elderberry), and 534 native plants. The tribe restored 285 acres through prescribed burns as well as helped restore 32 acres of prairie—bringing total restored prairie to nearly 1,200 acres since 1999. The SMSC spent 111 hours removing invasive species such as common buckthorn, Canada thistle, and wild parsnip from SMSC lands. Staff from the Natural Resources Department conducts forest and prairie monitoring over the span of more than 100 plots, and began monitoring waterfowl populations on Pike Lake in 2025, observing more than 475 birds. Staff also continue monitoring bluebird boxes and wood duck boxes on SMSC lands for several years.
HAZARDOUS WASTE: The SMSC collects and handles hazardous waste (i.e. light bulbs, batteries, etc.) generated from Tribal Operations, Tribal Enterprises, and the Gaming Enterprises for proper disposal. SMSC Community Members also have a designated location for hazardous waste to drop off.
SUSTAINABILITY: The SMSC’s sustainability team’s work revolves around the 2035 carbon neutrality goal Business Council established in 2022. To help guide the SMSC toward carbon neutrality, Community Members and team members across Tribal Operations and the Gaming Enterprise crafted a Sustainability Plan in 2023. The plan highlights these topic areas: Building Decarbonization; Carbon-Free Energy; Transportation and Mobility; Waste and Wastewater; Carbon Sequestration and Offsets; and Climate Adaptation Strategies.
The rain gardens surrounding Playworks and the Playworks LINK Event Center prevent stormwater runoff and provide a habitat for butterflies and other pollinators. In the outdoor play area, gardens are cared for by the students all summer long. Playworks composts students’ food scraps, and provides each student with a lunch bag and reusable water bottle to further reduce paper and plastic waste. Cleaning crews also use environmentally friendly cleaning products.
The SMSC received a Clean Water Legacy Partners grant award to purchase a street sweeper that picks up excess salt from roadways and protects SMSC waterbodies. Road pollutants, including salt, can end up in stormwater systems which ultimately lead to stormwater ponds, streams, wetlands, and lakes. By being proactive with street sweeping, we are aiming to reduce the salt inputs into SMSC waterbodies and ultimately downstream waters, including Mnisota Wakpa (Minnesota River).
Property Services operates this street sweeper and Public Works has owned and operated their own for many years.
The Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store recycles all car wash water from both of its car wash locations. The Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store car washes use far less water than a do-it-yourself wash in the driveway, and prevents the wash water from polluting our wetlands and waterways.
The Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store recycles all car wash water from both of its car wash locations. The Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store car washes use far less water than a do-it-yourself wash in the driveway, and prevents the wash water from polluting our wetlands and waterways. The Shakopee Dakota Convenience Store #2 also offers outdoor recycling for guests.
SMSC Water Bottling turns groundwater into drinking water, which is bottled and packaged on-site through a multistep purification process and reverse osmosis.
The SMSC’s state-of-the-art Water Reclamation Facility has been recognized as a superior achievement in reducing environmental pollutants. The facility collects wastewater from across the SMSC to be treated for reuse as irrigation, allowing the Community to reduce groundwater withdrawal by about 35 million gallons a year. Staff also enjoy getting to know the new ducklings that hatch on this facility’s green roof each spring, before making their way to the nearby wetland that the SMSC restored.
In 2019, the SMSC and the city of Prior Lake built the South Area Water Treatment Facility. This joint facility connects the tribe and city’s water together as a fully integrated system that maximizes water supply efficiencies while minimizing impacts on regional groundwater resources—ensuring that the rapidly growing communities will have safe, high-quality drinking water as more residents and businesses enter the region.
The tribal-city partnership for the new water treatment facility made this state-of-the-art water treatment plant possible. Through increasing water capacity to more than 3 million gallons per day, the new jointly owned facility has also reduced the number of wells that are needed to supply water to each community.
Use of treated effluent water at the SMSC’s Water Reclamation Facility is used to irrigate The Meadows at Mystic Lake and other landscaped areas, which has reduced groundwater withdrawal by the SMSC by approximately 35 millions gallons a year. In addition, wildlife flock to the site of the effluent release, relishing the temperate water during the cold Minnesota winter when most other water bodies are frozen. The wetlands provide a home for Canada geese, muskrats, and mallards.
The Land and Natural Resources Department helps care for the many lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands which are present on SMSC lands. Activities include researching, monitoring, protecting, and improving these water features so that they continue to provide rich wildlife habitat and contribute to our Community’s well-being for generations to come.
At Wozupi Tribal Gardens, we grow certified organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, and plant starts. We maintain and harvest our own garden and orchard, beehives, and maple syrup, and staff compost on-site to help promote sustainability. In the sloped fields, we encourage native species to thrive along the tree lines and hedgerows around the gardens. On-site renewable energy generates from a windmill turbine and a sun-tracking solar panel.
Visitors come to learn about sustainable small-scale farming, native foods, winter vegetable production, and tribal food program design. Our excess produce is also donated to local food shelves.