Lake O'Donnell was created by damming a small valley with an earthen dam built from nearby materials. The problems this left behind in the form of a sterile barrow pit continued to exist until the Office of Domain Management undertook a restoration project of the area.

The center of the original barrow pit	Sterile ground without topsoil	The barrow pit with planted cypress trees
After mulching, grass-seeding, and Virginia pine plantings	An aerial view of the pit	The location of the pit relative to lake O'Donnell