The sun emerges on the horizon and a boat glides across University Lake when a piece of unforeseen debris rips a hole in the boat’s base – a scenario all too familiar to the University Rowing Club. But recent developments with the University Lake Clean-up project reveals encouraging news for these early morning risers bearing the financial burden of the shallow lakes toward new equipment. According to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers feasibility report, the tentative selected plan to deepen the debris-filled lakes proposes an estimated $8 million draining project. The draining would allow engineers to expand the shallow waters by removing unwanted stumps and relocating sediment build-up to shore banks. “Right now there is a bunch of phosphorous material and once the lake dries out, some will be removed through natural processes, and some will be pushed to the side,” said Mark Wingate, senior project manager for the lakes with the Corps. Wingate explained the lake system perimeters will be contoured with material pushed along the shoreline to help with the eroding hedges. He said the parish will then use the elevated sediment to produce a green area. City and University officials first endorsed a plan with the Corps to deepen the contaminated lake system in summer 2005. Jason Soileau, assistant director of facility development, said the University held a meeting this past week to judge public support for the project. He said the public expressed a high level of interest in the project concept. “Everyone is in support of the system being improved, it just comes to ‘how do we get it done,’ ” Soileau said. Soileau said he became involved with finding a remedy to fix the lakes more than five years ago. He said the sediment byproduct that will come from deepening the lakes will help improve road safety by increasing the shoulder width with the additional recreational space. “To me it is an exciting project, and I am anxious to see this project move forward so the entire community can benefit from it,” Soileau said. Wingate said draining is the most cost-effective approach to improve lake conditions under the allowed budget. He said though the feasibility study is only 90 percent complete and will not be finalized until late March, engineers have ruled out hydraulic dredging as the most effective approach. While the University dredged the lakes in 1983, Wingate said the procedure was not completely successful and another dredge could cost an estimated $15 million. Additionally, he said dredging presents potential problems because it would require running pipe lines through campus to pump out harmful sediment and silt. The feasibility study began five days before Hurricane Katrina. With efforts focused on hurricane recovery, Wingate said the project received less emphasis and strayed from its initial schedule. He said the federal government financed the $600,000 study and will appropriate about $5 million for project construction. He said the University, Baton Rouge Recreational Center and a local sponsor -most likely the city-parish government – will provide the additional $3 million for construction. But he said project construction is contingent on a number of issues including approval of the feasibility report, the local government’s allocation of necessary funds and the federal government providing their share of the budget balance. “We are currently wrapping it up,” he said. “But if we had not kept the priority on this project, it would not have been where it is today.” Carolyn Day, head coach for the Rowing Club, said the team regularly faces equipment damage because of stumps and underwater debris. In just the past few weeks, Day said a stump ripped a hole in a boat, thwarting the boat’s ability to return to the dock. “As a result, I was forced to get in the lake in 35 degree weather to pull the crew in, an unpleasant experience to be sure,” Day said. “There is as much mud as there is water – at least 2 feet near shore.” Day, also a history instructor, said the water level was so low this past semester that an underwater sewer pipe grounded the team. She said the pipe damaged several rudders and shells preventing the 50 member club from practicing for more than two weeks. Wingate said the feasibility report includes a proposal to relocate the pipe from the base of the lake to underground. He said removing the pipe will provide more opportunities not just for the club, but for other city canoers. Wingate also shared plans to accommodate the team with their own rowing lane. While the future looks hopeful for the Rowing Club, Wingate said the project is not scheduled for construction until summer 2009. Until then, Day said the team will continue dealing with the difficulties presented by the shallow conditions. Although listed on the Student Government executive branch list of spring initiatives, Day said she hopes there is a new initiative to speed the progress of the project so the lakes become a draw for the city rather than a drawback.
“I realize a project of this magnitude requires a great deal of planning, but this is a project that should have been started 10 years ago, as part of the revitalization of the Greater Baton Rouge area and as part of LSU’s wider commitment to excellence,” Day said.
“In addition, feasibility studies should have been undertaken once it became noticeable that the lakes were becoming inaccessible for recreational use.
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]