The pronounced, dry banks of Baton Rouge’s University Lakes have not been caused by recent dredging or construction, according to the leader of the restoration project. Rather, the conditions are because of extreme heat.
“A lot of people thought we were draining it as part of the project,” said Mark Goodson, the project lead, in an interview with the Reveille. “But no, it’s just that dry and shallow.”
PHOTOS: LSU lakes look dry and cracked as restoration process begins
By the project’s start, record breaking hot temperatures had already been lingering over Baton Rouge for weeks.
Louisiana has suffered a drought for weeks, under a burn ban and Gov. John Bel Edwards announced a state of emergency because of the heat on Aug. 14.
Renovations to the six University Lakes began in late summer and will be carried out over a couple of phases, hopefully to conclude two or three summers from now, Goodson said.
Coincidently, around the time when phase one of the renovations started, the water level of the LSU lakes dropped noticeably. The declined water level left dead fish and trash; then the ground began to crack.
Goodson said most people aren’t aware the University Lakes are as shallow as they are. Expectations are usually closer to 15 feet, not 5, he said.
The project’s first phase is valued at $32 million, Goodson said. The main objective of the current phase is to make the lakes ecologically healthier. This involves dredging, making connections from University Lake to City Park Lake and construction around May Street.
The lower water level actually makes it harder for workers to do their job, Goodson said.
LSU oceanography and coastal science professor Kevin Xu echoed Goodson’s account. Xu said he didn’t have any specific data, but that the drought Baton Rouge has been in most likely translates to an imbalance in the water table.
Essentially, Xu said, not only was the lakewater rapidly evaporating, but that it was also too dry for the lakes to hold water, thanks to a lack of groundwater.
Recent rainfall and the season’s turn to fall are good signs regarding the weather and the lakes looking healthier, Xu said.
Still, Goodson said the lakes are “at least 2 feet below what they should be.”
University Lake sits partially dried up on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, on LSU's campus in Baton Rouge, La.
