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Ironside, Oregon
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Reservoir Land Company represents an opportunity to own one of the largest Oregon cattle ranches offered in recent times. This vast holding encompasses 53,350 deeded acres along with the exclusive grazing privileges to an additional 6,500 acres of Federal and State land. Located in an area filled with fascinating history, diverse landscape, clean air and friendly people, this reputation cattle ranch has experienced only two ownership changes since the original homestead in 1853. Reservoir Land portrays nearly a half century of successful business decisions focused on premium beef production, range and water improvements and timber management. Whether the next owner's goal is to enter into the industry at a commercial level or to expand an existing operation, Reservoir Land provides the strength in its enormous resources to distinguish itself as one of the finest ranch investments available in today's real estate market.
Reservoir Land Company owns portions of Baker and Malheur counties and is within a fifty mile drive, more or less, to either county seat in Baker City to the north or Vale to the southeast respectively. Ironside is a tiny unincorporated ranching community located on U.S. Highway 26, four miles from the ranch. The elevations on the ranch range from less than 3,400 feet to over 6,400 feet above sea level. Ironside Mountain rises to an elevation of over 7,600 feet and dominates the skyline just south of the ranch. The terrain and environments within the ranch are incredibly diverse.
Irrigation and stock water are supplied from nineteen named creeks. Several drilled wells and numerous springs supplement irrigation and supply stock ponds and tanks with an abundance of well-spread water throughout forty pastures. The ranch floods and subirrigates approximately 1,425 acres of meadows and purchases hay needed for winter while utilizing a grazing rotation as the most efficient use of the forage grown in the pastures.
An exceptionally strong blend of land types combine to provide an abundance of grass, timber and wildlife habitat. In addition to the irrigated meadows, Reservoir Land includes nearly 45,000 acres of deeded range of which over 1,000 acres are improved with crested wheatgrass seeding. Approximately 7,000 acres in the higher elevations produce merchantable stands of Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir, Western Larch and White Fir trees. The majority of the timber has been thinned and thousands of Juniper trees removed resulting in a dramatic increase in the native grasses, an overall improvement in the health of the residual timber and a reduction in the threat from fire.
A mixture of Fescue, Timothy, Bluegrass, Clover, Orchard grass and several varieties of Rye flourish in the meadows. The creek banks and ponds support Willows, Rushes, Sedges and Forbes. Basin wild rye, intermediate and tall wheatgrass can be seen along the fringe areas. The hills produce Idaho Fescue, Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Sandberg Bluegrass, Squirrel Tail, Indian Ricegrass, Rye grasses and Crested Wheatgrass.
The capacity of Reservoir Land Company is not heavily influenced by public grazing rights. The Ranch utilizes four private BLM allotments and one State Rangeland Forage Lease. All grazing rights are fenced in with or adjacent to the deeded land. The majority of the 900 AUM's allocated to the BLM permits run from April 1st through October on a total of 5,900 acres, more or less. The term of the BLM permit extends to 2020. The State lease grazes on 640 acres to the year of 2015.
An Animal Unit Month (AUM) is the feed required to maintain a mother cow in good condition for an average month. This can vary with classes of livestock.
The Ranch is well improved with six framed homes and two mobile homes. The main headquarters includes a vintage two story farm house, a single wide mobile home, a heated steel shop, two steel granaries, outbuildings, two barns, scales and cattle facilities. Across the valley, a three bedroom framed home sets overlooking Willow Creek. The Boulder Creek division offers a 1999 model double-wide mobile home in addition to a nice 1,800 square foot framed home, outbuildings and corrals tucked into a secluded meadow. The Lower Ranch headquarters includes a two bedroom home, a shed, a small barn with a tack room and a compact, efficient cattle facility. Two accessory dwellings are located a quarter mile away.
A large cattle facility is placed at the south end of the ranch and only one mile off U.S. Highway 26 for convenient shipping access. This heavily braced, 250 by 250 foot structure is built with guard rails on ties, has power, lights and water supplied from a well. All cattle facilities on the ranch allow safe and efficient low-stress cattle processing.
In January of 2010, Reservoir Land was supporting a breeding herd of 1,841 cows. Since then the ranch has culled the herd to 1,200 mother cows, 219 heifers and 78 bulls. Management rates the ranch at 1,800 cows with varying numbers of yearlings depending on the winter and forage conditions. If the next owner prefers to stock the ranch with yearlings, 3,000 to 3,500 head could produce 1.8 to 2.2 pounds of gain per day subject to annual precipitation. Over the past decade Reservoir Land has sold 11,620 cattle with a gross rail weight of 4.6 million pounds of beef. 25.4% met the Certified Angus Beef criteria generating premium sale prices. Native cattle are available for purchase outside of the ranch sale by private treaty.
The wildlife and the quality of habitat on the ranch are second to none. Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, Bear and Cougar are present year round. Bucks scoring 170+ are harvested each year with larger scores expected in the future. Wild Turkeys, Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Chukar and Grouse also inhabit the ranch. If registered with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as a single unit, eight landowner preference tags could be available. Please contact ODFW at (503) 947-6000 for details.
The ranch borders two sides of Malheur Reservoir providing stock water and fishing during the spring and early summer. When full, the reservoir spans approximately 500 surface acres storing water for irrigators to the south of the ranch.
The ranch experiences four seasons. The lower elevations can be described as a high desert environment while the mountains include conditions related to the added moisture available and a conifer forest. The warmest month is July. December is the wettest month and the coldest time of year is January. Spring is outrageous bringing wildflowers and water. Summer temperatures can easily reach the upper 80's and still cool down in the evening. Fall brings brisk mornings followed by pleasant afternoons. Winters normally bring snow which converts to stored water in the form of snowpack necessary for the following season.
© 2011 Steve Turner Ranches PO Box 31 Powell Butte, OR 97753 Phone: (541) 548-9600
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