2010 year granted
88.6 acres
Water rights encumbered
Conservation Values Protected
- Scenic Open Space: The public can see the property from Grand County Road 84, US 40, BLM Road 844, Amtrak National Rail Passenger Service, and the BLM land that adjoins the property. This scenic property is characterized by upland sagebrush hillsides and the rich riparian areas and wetlands associated with Ranch Creek, which flows for one half mile through the property, and by the riparian areas and wetlands associated with the Fraser River at its confluence with Ranch Creek. The property is very scenic and is surrounded by mountainous views of the Arapaho National Forest, including the Indian Peaks Wilderness, the Vasquez Peak Wilderness, and Byers Peak Wilderness and by views of the Fraser Valley.
- Wildlife Habitat: The property has important habitat for many wildlife species due to the undeveloped nature of the property, the riparian areas along Ranch Creek and the Fraser River, and the surrounding and nearby public lands. The property provides habitat for elk, mule deer, moose, mountain lion, and black bear. There is an abundance of waterfowl in the riparian wetlands. The property is also prime habitat for the boreal toad, a species once common in high-altitude montane wet habitats in the Southern Rocky Mountains but has experienced dramatic population declines over the past two decades. The property provides important habitat for habitat for several species of fish, including brook trout, fathead minnow, longnose sucker, brown trout, sculpin, rainbow trout, speckles dace, and white sucker. A 2007 fish population survey conducted by Colorado Parks & Wildlife determined that the section of Ranch Creek on the property is productive in terms of its fish rearing potential. The lower end of Ranch Creek has some of the densest brown trout spawning activity in the entire Fraser River Valley.