Private gifts assure additional features for lake restoration project

March 12, 2026

Author: Anne Krapfl

architect's sketch of north lake shore with seating area — A preliminary sketch depicts some of the features planned for Lake LaVerne, including a pedestrian bridge and a plaza with seating along the north shoreline.

When the Lake LaVerne restoration project gets underway in May, it will include several features -- amphitheater, pedestrian bridge and perhaps a small outdoor classroom -- made possible by private gifts and intended to expand the community's use of the lake site. Last month, the Iowa Board of Regents approved an expanded budget of nearly $5.1 million. With additional fundraising since and still anticipated, that figure will be revised again.

The base part of the project, draining and dredging the lake to remove as much as 7 feet (in spots) of soft sediment and stabilizing the shoreline, will cost an estimated $2 million. This part of the project also includes:

Modifying the north shoreline to create space for additional seating and an accessible route to the water's edge.
Adjusting the shoreline in the southeast corner to create space for a hard-surface plaza for use both by visitors to the lake and the campus team that cleans and maintains the lake.

Final designs and costs for the additional features likely won't be completed until fall, according to campus planner Chris Strawhacker, real estate and capital planning. He's a member of the planning team that includes staff and faculty as well as landscape architects and engineers from the Shive-Hattery firm.

"The plan is that these new features will be really high quality and visually include some details that are unique to Iowa State," he said.

Lead gift memorializes former faculty member

Ivy College of Business emeritus dean Labh Hira is supporting the project with a $3 million gift in honor of his late wife, Tahira Hira, an emeritus professor of personal finance and consumer economics who died in December 2024. Tahira Hira served at Iowa State for more than 30 years, first as a faculty member and later in advisory roles to the president, until her retirement in 2014.

In addition to the Hira gift, the lake project recently received a $1 million gift from alumnus Dexter Duhan (1966, double major in engineering operations and modern language). During Forever True Day April 1-2, Duhan also will provide a 5:1 match for every dollar donated to the Lake LaVerne Restoration Fund.

The project also is supported with about $1.8 million in university funds.

Deeper, healthier lake is the goal

Strawhacker said the top priority of the project is to restore the depth and volume of the water in Lake LaVerne to better manage water quality and nutrients. Currently, the deepest parts of the lake are about 5.5 feet, with a mean depth of 2.8 feet. Following dredging, planting and refilling the lake, he said the goal is depths as great as 12 feet and a mean depth of about 5 feet.

Preparatory work will begin this month

Following an arborist and several landscape architects' assessment of the trees surrounding the lake, Strawhacker said about three dozen trees, mostly deciduous varieties, will be removed this spring. That work could begin as early as March 16 and will conclude by the end of the month. Each tree removal is necessitated by:

Current poor condition of the tree, or
The tree's location would make it vulnerable to damage during construction

He said limited removals will occur this month near the southwest corner of the lake, where the pedestrian bridge will be anchored. Once designs for the additional features are complete, including exact location of the bridge and amphitheater, additional tree removals could be necessary.

Summer timeline

Strawhacker said work on draining Lake LaVerne will begin after graduation weekend to allow the pudding-like sediment at the lake bottom time to dry, followed by an estimated four to six weeks of dredging. The drier the sediment, the easier it will be to scoop and remove, he said.

Due to the need for construction access, he said parts of two roads adjacent to the lake will close during the dredging phase.

On the east side: Morrill Road from Lincoln Way north to the Memorial Union west loop driveway will close (loop driveway will remain accessible from the north). The west entrance to the MU south driveway will be closed.
Along the north side: The south lane of Union Drive will close. To maintain two-way traffic on Union Drive, drivers will be guided to use the north lane and the parking lane. Permit holders for Reserved lot 74 will park in other locations during the dredging phase.

The roads will reopen prior to the start of fall semester.