BATON ROUGE - While the beauty of the LSU Lakes is currently being overshadowed by two massive construction projects, what's happening behind the scenes is a story of teamwork. 

Organizers of the LSU Lakes Restoration Project have been working with DOTD from the beginning to ensure their plans do not interfere with one another. Everything from designs to staging equipment has been a close collaborative effort, according to both agencies. 

"There have been times where we needed to huddle up and be on the same page about for instance, what distance our dredging crews needed to keep from their pile driving operation," Lakes project organizer, Mark Goodson, said.

As dredging continues, crews from the lakes project have aided DOTD in keeping water levels elevated. DOTD is also allowing the lakes crew to run a dredging pipeline through their construction servitude.

In a statement to WBRZ, DOTD confirmed they are working closely with the lakes project organizers:

"The contractors for the two projects are communicating regularly so both projects can move forward as efficiently as possible. This partnership has been ongoing since the I-10 project started."

For the next few years, the unsightly conditions around the lake might make it a less favorable place for relaxing. Dredging will wrap up around July, but construction will linger for the next few years.