School in western edge of Rowlett. Directions: Park at the NORMA DORSEY ELEMENTARY (K-5): 6200 Dexham Road off

of Highway 66 in Rowlett.  To the northwest you will see the large cattail marsh and associated willows. If you walk up the hill

behind the school's chain link fence you will see the large remnant prairiewith an existing trail used by school children and cyclists.

If anyone has any information on the place please submit it to us. 

We "discovered" this area a couple of years ago during a Christmas Count and have found birds here that are hard to find

elsewhere in the Metroplex. The habitats include about 25 acres of cattail marsh with mature Black Willow  progressing upslope

through green ash and other saplings to  a 75- acre upland tallgrass prairie with Little Bluestem, Dropseed, prairie forbs, and

rare hillside seeps characterized by spikerush (Eleocharis sp), Foxtail (Setaria sp.), Bushy Bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus).

The larger seeps are eroded and characterized by Eastern Red Cedar.  The extensive cattail marsh can be found by continuing

east on 66 a short ways and turning left onto Dexham Road.  The cattails are next to Norma Dorsey Elementary

School.  Unfortunately I’m not sure if the marsh is private property, and there is no good access, but it’s a great spot for

Swamp Sparrows, blackbirds, and Common Yellowthroats, and I've found Virginia Rail and Sora in the cattails.

Birds  include:

Common Yellowthroat             White-Crowned Sparrow          Red-tailed Hawk

Marsh Wren                             Song Sparrow

Bluejay                                     Swamp Sparrow

Red-Winged Blackbird           Field Sparrow

Cowbird                                   Fox Sparrow

Rusty Blackbird                        Lincoln's Sparrow

Common Grackle                     LeConte's Sparrow

Starling                             

There aren't many places where you can see a swamp sparrow and a Leconte's sparrow within a few hundred yards

of each other. We also found a Texas Garter Snake in the prairie on Feb. 15, 2003.  The area should be preserved, but we

don't know who owns it.

June, 2005. The City of Rowlett approved construction of the project, only reducing the number of  homes from 128 to 100.  This decision

by City Hall will spell disaster for Dexham Marsh and Prairie.  School board members gave up this property in order to add more than money

to the their property-tax base. With no forethought they passed up a unique chance to education themselves and their children on

environmental values right next door.....a sad decision indeed. Destruction is slated for this fall so if you have any interest in seeing

one of our last remnant prairies in the area, go visit the Dexham site.
 

The City of Rowlett approved a zoning change on April 12, 2005 from single residential estate to planned development

single residential for this pristine habitat. Plans are to construct a 130-home subdivision called LakeHill beginning in September

 of 2005 along with over 8300 feet of concrete trails throughout the complex. Plans also include possibly blasting of an existing

beaver dam and trapping beavers as well as converting the wetland to a nonwetland stormwater detention pond or a "park".

In winter, thousands of blackbirds, mostly Red-wings, swarm in at sunset to roost in the nearby cattail marsh along Dexham Road.