University Lakes Restoration Project Update

Baton Rouge, LA – At its most recent meeting on March 30, 2026, the Project Management Committee for the University Lakes Restoration Project formally established its remaining priority projects for implementation and defined what will constitute project completion.  

To date, University Lakes LLC, the special purpose entity created to administer the restoration project, has secured over $81 million from local, state, and federal sources. The Project Management Committee approved a phased approach to implementation, aligned with the timing funding was made available and the scope it supported. The committee prioritized the improvement of the health of the University Lakes system, flood risk reduction and safe mobility for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. 

As of March 2026, over $56 million in improvements have been made, with the remainder of funding projected to be expended by early next year. Key milestones achieved are: 

• Dredging is complete in three of the six lakes: City Park Lake, Lake Erie and College Lake.  

• The new shorelines created in those lakes have been planted with native plants and landscape maintenance of those areas is ongoing.  

• Dredging in University Lake will be completed this summer and new shoreline areas are being planted as they are completed.  

• The LSU Bird Sanctuary and BREC’s Milford Wampold Park are the recipients of much of the sediment dredged from the lakes and will be the last areas to be landscaped in the current phase of work.  

• Campus Lake, located completely on LSU’s campus, has been raked to remove logs, stumps, and debris, and dredging will begin this summer and be completed in the fall. 

Beyond dredging, work underway includes improvements to May Street between Dalrymple Drive and East Lakeshore Drive: 

• A new channel is being excavated to hydraulically connect City Park Lake and University Lake for water quality, flood mitigation, and recreational purposes.  

• May Street is being realigned to improve safety at its intersections with Dalrymple and E. Lakeshore and will include a 50-foot bridge crossing the new channel.  

• May Street will include 14-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides of the street with new lighting, landscaping and parking.  

• BREC’s May Street Park will be improved and expanded, with more green space and amenities.  

Mark Goodson, project manager for the University Lakes Restoration Project, reported that they aim to reopen May Street to traffic before the end of this year, but some work may continue into the first quarter of 2027. 

In addition to the $81 million already secured for the project, the City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge was awarded a $14.6 million grant from FEMA in 2022 to improve Lake Crest and Corporation Canal, which flows adjacent to University Lake. Before work can begin on those improvements, FEMA must approve an extension request submitted by the City-Parish and Congress must approve the funding bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

With the current project phases well underway, the Project Management Committee discussed and approved a list of remaining priority projects, including improvements to Wampold Park and several shared-use paths to support safe non-vehicular traffic (e.g., by cyclists and pedestrians): 

• Along Stanford Avenue from E. Lakeshore to S. Lakeshore Drive 

• Along Dalrymple Drive from E. Lakeshore to W. Lakeshore Drive 

• Along W. Lakeshore Drive from Dalrymple to Stanford Avenue 

• Along E. Lakeshore Drive from Dalrymple Drive to Stanford Avenue 

• Through Wampold Park, providing a safer path away from vehicular traffic 

The shared-use paths are expected to be dedicated, 11-foot-wide paths for pedestrians and cyclists with lighting; actual scope and dimensions may vary based on existing conditions and funding availability. The total cost estimate for the priority shared-use paths is $26 million. Improvements to Wampold Park have not yet been defined, as a new master plan for the soon-to-be-expanded park is just getting underway. Earlier conceptual plans for the park carried an estimate of $14-16 million. 

Funding has been, and will continue to be, requested from multiple sources to support the implementation of these remaining priority projects. The committee also voted to confirm that their implementation will mark the point of final completion for the University Lakes Restoration Project. 

The Project Management Committee discussed scenarios for long-term maintenance and governance of the University Lakes system, but no action was taken. Voting members of the Project Management Committee include the State of Louisiana, City of Baton Rouge – Parish of East Baton Rouge, BREC and LSU. Non-voting members include the LSU Real Estate & Facilities Foundation, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and two resident representatives from adjacent neighborhoods. 

For more information and ongoing updates, visit the University Lakes Project website.

For more information about the University Lakes Project, visit universitylakesproject.org. Specific questions or comments can be sent to info@universitylakesproject.org