BATON ROUGE - Tall weeds have grown along parts of University Lake's south shore, partially blocking lake views.The University Lakes Project is entering its final stretch to improve water quality, reduce flooding, and make the lakes enjoyable for people who walk, run, bike, and live nearby.Regular visitors said the view has changed noticeably, particularly along Stanford Avenue and South Lakeshore Drive.University Lakes Project Manager, Mark Goodson, said the weeds grew as a direct result of recent dredging work."Invasive weeds start to sprout pretty quickly, almost immediately from the time that the dredging contractor places sediment along the shoreline," Goodson said.He said the new shoreline must now settle before beautification and landscaping can begin. In the meantime, a contractor will spray the invasive vegetation to cut it back.At completion, Goodson said new, native plants will populate the shoreline but won't block lake views."We worked very hard to make sure nothing obstructs the lake views. I think when it matures in the next couple of years, the lakes will be the jewel people hoped they would be," Goodson said.Goodson said the overgrown weeds won't delay construction, and he still expects dredging and landscaping to be completed by the end of 2026.Permalink| Comments ...read more read less