Cottonwood is a +/- 2,000 acre property in Dallas County, TX.  The property comprises several tracts that lie on the area of land historically known as “Bois d’arc Island”.  This “island” was created by the meandering of the Trinity River, which is the longest river with a watershed contained entirely within the state of Texas.  The area of land that held the river’s original course became known as Parson’s Slough.  The natural formation of this piece of ground between the old and new riverbed created ideal wildlife habitat for a myriad of species, and was often referred to as a natural “game preserve” in the late 1800s.  It is ideally situated to attract waterfowl, and at the time was a legendary destination for duck hunters.  In the early 1900s, efforts were made to make the Trinity River navigable for trade and industrial transport.  A lock and dam system was planned and construction put underway, but the project was eventually abandoned.  Many of the unfinished lock and dam structures still remain, decaying slowly with time.  Around 1910, land use for much of the area was transitioned to agriculture. Decades later, parts of the area were mined for gravel.  In more recent history, while some sections have remained in corn and soybean production, most of this land has been forgotten and neglected. The ground that was once river bottom is now fertile fields which yield grain production and an abundance of diverse wildlife.  Over the course of time, mother nature is restoring the gravel pits into lakes that host an abundance of fish and waterfowl. The lake edges have been naturally reclaimed by trees and other vegetative growth, ultimately restoring a historic ecosystem.