Editor’s Note: The objective of Campus Findings is to highlight points of interest at Iowa State. Submit ideas via e-mail to [email protected].

Throughout its history, Lake LaVerne has gone through several cycles of change.

According to “Iowa State University and its Buildings” by H. Summerfield Day, Lake LaVerne was the brainchild of O.C. Simmonds, a famed landscape gardener from Chicago. The project was funded by LaVerne W. Noyes, an Iowa State graduate after whom the lake was named.

Simmonds visited the campus in the fall of 1914. During the visit, he concluded that a lake and park area would help enhance the face of the campus.

“The purpose of the lake was to beautify the campus,” said John Downing, professor of animal ecology. “It was for recreational use.”

Soon after Simmonds visit, a pond was constructed. Upon completion, the pond was used by 200 student ice skaters.

However, Noyes believed that the pond should be converted into a lake. He offered to pay construction expenses on the condition that Simmonds would direct the work.

The board approved the plan, and construction on the new lake began in September 1915. It was completed by December of the same year. The name “Lake LaVerne” was approved by the Story County Alumni Association on May 10, 1916.

But problems soon arose, Downing said.

“The first problem that arose was siltation from College Creek, and in 1916, there was a huge flood which filled it in with silt,” Downing said. “The siltation problem was addressed and was done really well. They accomplished it by rerouting the creek.”

In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps provided manpower to construct a channel to bypass the lake when silt-laden runoff from the creek filled the lake. The system did not always work and had to be modified numerous times.

After the numerous improvements, the condition of the lake has improved steadily, Downing said.

“The health of the lake is on the upswing,” said Charlie Drew, professor of zoology and genetics. “The lake is at a sensitive point right now, and things could improve quite a bit.”

Drew said the lake has the potential to be a great resource for teaching and research.

“It is a very small lake, but it has more life than what is usual for its size because it has outflow and other artificial things,” he said. “Students should be aware that it is no longer ‘Lake Latrine.’ It has a great potential.”

The lake has a wealth of life including fish, snails, mussels, insect larvae, microcrustaceans and invertebrate organisms, he said.

“It is a nice little lake, and it is in the best condition that it has been in quite some time, which maybe hard for many people to believe,” Downing said. “It has the lowest nutrient content of the lakes in this area because of the excellent management of the nutrients.”