Located in Baton Rouge , Louisiana, the University Lakes are nearly 100 years old. These six man-made lakes were hand dredged by Civilian Conservation Corps workers to a depth of three feet. Changing the Tupelo swamp into a lake system required a large number of workers, but, upon completion, the University Lakes soon became an iconic recreation amenity for the City of Baton Rouge. Because of the area’s attractiveness, neighborhoods began to spring up around University Lakes. However, as development around the lakes increased, the amount of stormwater runoff into the system increased. Over its near century of existence, the lake system has had numerous issues with water quality. Decreased water quality had also resulted in additional complications with eutrophication. These challenges forced the residents of Baton Rouge to start thinking about the future of University Lakes, and a master plan was developed in 2016. This plan explored additional dredging on the lake system and how that dredge could be utilized as an additional recreational amenity. Innovative Approaches to Improving the University Lakes System By Luke Carothers
The result was a plan to dredge the entire lake system to a minimum of six feet in depth, doubling the current average depth. This additional dredge material would be utilized around the lakes’ edges to create a “living edge” to capture clean water before it goes back into the lakes, stabilize the lake edges, and provide new recreational amenities. In 2021, Sasaki was hired to lead the design from concept all the way to implementation. For the University Lakes project, Sasaki is leading the landscape design as well as being the master designer and lead for the upland civil work on the project. Sasaki is also partnering with Stantec, who is the flood risk reduction designer. According to Zach Chrisco, the University Lakes project is fascinating from a civil engineering perspective. Chrisco, a principal and civil engineer at Sasaki, notes the importance of the project in improving water quality for not only the six lakes, but for downstream receiving waters as well. Much of the region’s water flows through or drains into the lakes, and the improvement of the lake system will bring significant benefits to the region. Another significant consideration in the project is flood reduction, and the creation of the lakeside amenities is one way by which it seeks to protect neighborhoods from flooding. To achieve this goal, Chrisco emphasizes the importance of coordination within the teams. This allows them to consider critical water elevations and how the bodies of water can be connected hydraulically. For Sasaki’s team, this meant understanding both the minimum depth of water needed to restore the lake system and the volume of
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csengineermag.com
June 2023
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