Beginning as early as 1806, deforestation and erosion as well as mining of its limestone caused the island's footprint to shrink, threatening it with submersion. The Louisville Cement Company extracted rock for cement in the 19th century, and the removal of trees from the island contributed to erosion. By 1889, all that remained was its bedrock base. To improve navigation, From 1889-1891, the Army Corps of Engineers blasted and excavated the rock base of the island until it was submerged. The island was flooded by the construction of a dam in the 1920s. It now lies permanently underwater.