University and other area lakes may become another construction project early next year. The lakes, which average only 2 1/2 feet deep in most areas, may be overhauled to dig them to about 5 feet.
Army Corps of Engineers suggested at a meeting held Tuesday to drain the lakes and use equipment to clean the bottom instead of dredging them. The project could cost between $7 and $15 million, and construction would last about one year.
The project originally aimed at dredging the lakes and would have taken several years to complete and cost nearly $35 million.
Shallow water causes both aesthetic and biological problems, with insufficient oxygen in the water to support fish. Mosquitoes are also fond of shallow, still water to lay eggs.
General student opinion is that it is an expensive project, but it needs to be done.
“There’s a lot of construction stuff going on already on campus, so the sooner we can get this taken care of, the better,” said Dustin Harless, chemical engineering sophomore. “I do recognize the lakes as an iconic symbol of LSU, so it is our responsibility to maintain them.”
The sediment recovered from the project would be placed behind a retaining wall to create more usable land for parks and wildlife. Project officials said once the project is completed, it is doubtful it will need to be done again after sufficient drainage is built.
“I use the lakes frequently, and it was just the other day I noticed how dirty and unhealthy they were,” said Nikolas Michailidis, University graduate. “I think it just really needs to be done.”
The project to clean the lakes first began in 1979- nearly 40 years after the lakes were created but ended before completion because submerged stumps created financial problems.
—Contact Wallace Levy at [email protected]