Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge preserves a remnant of the bottomland hardwood forest that once spread across a much larger area along the Trinity River near Cleveland in southeastern Texas. Established on January 4, 1994, with an initial purchase of 4,400 acres, it has grown to about 30,000 acres. The refuge protects a broad, flat floodplain shaped by the river over time, including sloughs, oxbow lakes, artesian wells, and tributaries. Its importance lies in conserving both wildlife habitat and the distinctive character of a southeastern Texas river-bottom landscape.