Smith Ranch - SOLD

LOCATION
Located 12 miles northwest of community of Hotchkiss in western Colorado, access from Leroux Creek Road, county maintained nice gravel road. Power and phone approximately 1 miles to property line. Year round accessible. Telluride, Aspen, Vail and Crested Butte Ski Resorts within 3 hours. Commercial air service is provided at Montrose Community Airport 40 miles, Grand Junction Regional Airport, 55 miles and Denver International Airport is 5 hours from the ranch.

TERRAIN & SURROUNDING NATIONAL FOREST
Mostly level irrigated grass pastureland, this special ranch offers several building sites. Panoramic views of Uncompagrhe, West Elk Mountains and the San Juan Mountain Range. The meadows are very private, enveloped by oak brush and aspen trees. Most of the land has been held in pasture, some 40 acres could be improved to produce hay suitable for cutting and bailing. As Leroux Creek runs through the ranch, it creates a small canyon region lined with cottonwood and fir trees. Exceptional pretty! The original homestead and corrals are still standing

HUNTING, FISHING AND WILDLIFE
Leroux Creek runs for nearly a mile through the Smith Ranch. It averages 10-12 feet across and 3-4 feet in depth. Pools of great brook trout fishing all along the Creek. Leroux Creek extends onto the adjacent BLM land offering an additional 2 miles of fishing with limited public access. Cow Creek also runs through the ranch. This water supply is used heavily for irrigation and the water level varies by season.

Located in Division of Wildlife unit 52 – over the counter elk and bear tags. The property has had only limited hunting under the currently ownership. A haven for deer, elk and turkey.

WATER & WATER RIGHTS
Very good water rights accompany this ranch. Including 80 shares of Overland Ditch and reservoir Company, 119 shares of Leroux Creek Water User’s Association Class 1-A stock and 400 shares of Leroux Creek Water User’s Association Class B-2. All water rights owned by Sellers shall be transferred with the ranch.

CONSERVATION EASEMENT POTENTIAL
The ranch has excellent potential for a Conservation Easement. A buyer could offset some of the investment price through the tax benefits of placing of a conservation easement on all or a portion of the ranch. A thorough review of a buyers short and long term goals and financial position would determine if this method of land preservation would be a benefit to the buyer. Contact the Listing Broker for additional information regarding this land preservation and tax benefit alternative.

RECREATION & COMMUNITY
The Smith Ranch is located 12 miles northwest of the small community of Hotchkiss, Colorado, a population of 3,000, sitting at the base of the fertile and vast valley floor. Quality schools, shopping and restaurants are available in this friendly agricultural town. Delta, with a population of 7,000 is only 20 miles from the ranch offering additional amenities, area hospital, and schools

Hotchkiss and Delta are nestled between the high alpine terrains of the Grand Mesa and the fertile agriculture valleys in western Colorado. Bordered to the north by the Grand Mesa National Forest known for it’s hundreds of lakes and streams, to the east by the rugged West Elk Mountains, the West Elk Wilderness area and the Gunnison National Forest and to the south by the daunting San Juan Mountains. The Gold Medal Waters of the Gunnison River roar through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, in some sections, slanting rays of sunlight seldom penetrate to the bottom of this 2,000 foot-depth canyon. The Grand Mesa, a place the Ute Indians called “Thunder Mountain”, derived its name from Spanish explorers, who called it “mesa grande,” or large table. This is an apt description fro the world’s largest tabletop mountain. With over 300 reservoirs and lakes, Grand Mesa is a “grande” sportsman’s paradise.

This area of Colorado offers a wonderfully mild summer and winter climate. With temperatures in the winter averaging in the mid 50 degrees during the day and in the mid 80 degrees in the summer. This is a haven for mild climate, agriculture, fruit orchards and recreational opportunities.

PRICE
$ 1, 200,000 for the real estate, water rights, and mineral rights owned by Seller. Sellers reserve right to complete a qualified IRS code 1031 exchange.