[3] Historically, the marshes and wetlands south of the town of Dawson, North Dakota support a large quantity of migratory waterfowl, which have attracted hunters.

George Theron Slade, Third Vice President of the Northern Pacific Railroad, enjoyed hunting game birds in the area.

[4] Slade invested a considerable sum into improving the land with the aim of making it more attractive for waterfowl.

Improvements included planting and harvesting a limited amount of organically-grown grain to provide bird feed, and a well capable of pumping 60,500 liters (16,000 gallons) of water per hour to keep the lake level from falling during drought.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.