Iowa State University’s iconic campus lake is undergoing a significant makeover, highlighted by a deeper, healthier body of water, a new lakeside amphitheater, and a pedestrian bridge.
The nearly $5.1 million Lake LaVerne project will get underway in May, when crews will completely drain the lake. The project could also include an outdoor classroom.
Restoration project funded by ISU emeritus professor and alumnus
The Lake LaVerne restoration project is being supported by a $3 million donation from Iowa State University Emeritus Dean and Professor Labh Hira.
The gift is in honor of his late wife, Tahira Hira, an emeritus professor of personal finance and consumer economics at Iowa State, who passed away in January 2025. She served Iowa State University for more than 30 years as a faculty member and university administrator, retiring in 2014.
The new walking bridge, anchored near the southwest corner of the lake, will be named in her honor, and the park surrounding Lake LaVerne will be named the Tahira K. Hira Park.
The project is also supported by a $1 million gift commitment from Iowa State alumnus Dexter Duhan. He is also providing a five-to-one match for every dollar contributed to the Lake LaVerne Restoration Fund in honor of the fifth Forever True Day, Iowa State’s annual day of giving, April 1-2.
What is the Lake LeVerne project timeline?
Work will begin in May to drain and dredge the lake, removing an estimated seven feet of soft sediment. The dredging should take about four to six weeks, according to Iowa State University.
The initial phase also includes modifications to the north and south shorelines. The northside work will create space for additional seating and a walking path to the water’s edge, while the south shoreline will soon be home to a hard-surface plaza.
Final designs for the amphitheater, pedestrian bridge, and outdoor classroom will be completed in the fall.
Lake project aims to build healthier, deeper body of water
Iowa State University said the goal of the $5 million project is to create a healthier lake. The dredging will hopefully restore the depth and volume of the water “to better manage water quality and nutrients,” according to a press release. Construction crews hope to create a deeper lake, with a maximum depth of 12 feet and a median depth of five feet. Currently, the average depth of Lake LeVerne is less than three feet.
Some of the preliminary work, in addition to dredging, includes removing three dozen trees surrounding the lake at the suggestion of an arborist and a landscape architect.
Beloved swans returning to Iowa State’s Lake LeVerne
Iowa State University also announced that a pair of beloved swans will return to Lake LeVerne once the $5.1 million restoration is finished.
The mute swan duo, known by several generations of Iowa State students as Lancelot and Elaine, will make their grand return, according to Iowa State University. Swans last graced Lake LeVerne in 2022.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Iowa State’s $5M reno of Lake LeVerne includes amphitheater, bridge
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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