In the 1970's, much of the area was mined for a commercial sand and gravel operation, and the land was logged and stripped of its nutritious topsoil. A once viable hardwood forest with baldcypress sloughs became inhospitable habitat, and because of poor quality soil, a healthy plant community did not return. The barren site was overtaken by non-native invasive plants such as Chinese Tallow and Privet, and native wood ducks, woodcocks, and other wildlife disappeared to more hospitable habitat. In 1998, the City of Baton Rouge and Parish of East Baton Rouge, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and BREC partnered to restore 57.5 acres under Section 206 of the 1996 Water Resources Development Act. The restoration created two lakes, added lime, fertilizer, and mulch to the soil, removed exotic plant species, developed terracing wetland cells, created walking trails and a parking area, and planted trees representative of the original forest cover. BREC continues maintaining the property through exotic species removals and native species plantings, and native wildlife populations have begun to return as the land moves toward becoming a healthy bottomland hardwood forest habitat.