The dredging of Lake LaVerne will hopefully give two ISU residents — Lancelot and Elaine — a better place to live.

The residents, swans who inhabit the lake, are fourth-generation Cyclones. The original Lancelot and Elaine came to ISU in 1977.

This summer, because of the dredging and construction around the lake, Lancelot and Elaine were left shut out of their home, never to return.

When construction is finished this fall, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will supply ISU with two new, young trumpeter swans.

George Knaphus, professor of botany, is on the Liberal Arts and Sciences council that has overseen the care of the swans.

Knaphus said a project is underway that will bring trumpeter swans instead of the traditional mute swans to Lake Laverne. The trumpeter swans, which are native to Iowa, are bigger than the mute swans and have black instead of yellow beaks and feet.

The trumpeter swans are incredibly beautiful, Knaphus added.

The DNR is providing the swans in hopes of building the trumpeter breed back up in Iowa.

The three-foot layer of silt is being dredged to return the lake to its original depth, said Dean McCormick, manager of construction administration with the ISU Physical Plant.

The dredging process involves vacuuming water and sediments from the lake and pumping the residue into a sediment pond constructed for the project, according to a news release.

American Underwater Contractors, the company hired for the project, said any fish or animals that inhabit the water are usually scared off by the noise. However, some animals are sucked up into the hose and die.

The layer of silt was formed from runoff water that drained into the lake, McCormick said. To help stop the buildup of more silt, storm sewers will be used to collect the runoff.

Work is also being done on the north bank, McCormick said. The shore will receive a flatter grade and rocks will be brought in to keep the new shoreline intact.

“Beautification of the lake to make it more accessible to students is the main goal,” McCormick said.

The restoration project, which will cost about $475,000, was delayed by heavy rains, McCormick said, but it should be finished in the next few weeks.