Kennedy Ranch , Marfa, TX 79843(Presidio County)

The Kennedy Ranch is located in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, comprised of mid-elevation grasslands and scrubland of basin range topography between the Davis Mountains to the north, the Chinati Mountains to the west, and the Rio Grande River on the south. The ranch is located adjacent to large properties in the Alamito Creek Drainage and is part of the original Kennedy Ranch that had been in the same family until recently, for more than the past 60 years. This ranch is also next to Plata, an historic abandoned farming community that provided produce, cotton, and corn for the large silver operations at Shafter at the turn of the 19th century. The Alamito Creek Preserve, owned and operated by the Dixon Water Foundation, is just next door, providing opportunities for birding and hiking along its 2 miles of Cottonwood-lined Alamito Creek. The buyer of this ranch will have limited access to the Preserve.

The ranch is subject to a Conservation Easement with the Texas Agricultural Land Trust that focuses on restricting subdivision while allowing compatible uses like recreation, hunting, planned grazing, and limited development.

Habitat

The landscape is wide-open rolling grass and scrubland surrounded by rugged mountain ranges which can be seen from most places on the property. Classic Cattle County of the Old West, the Kennedy Ranch has maintained much of the environment and appearance of times past. This vast area lies in a narrow elevation range between 3,750 and 4,200 feet, allowing for mix of vegetation from the mid to lower Chihuahuan Desert such as Spanish dagger, yucca, creosote and cholla with a mix of blue grama, black grama, bear grass, and sideoats grama with scattered brush. Tributaries to Alamito Creek have heavier brush like mesquite, desert willow, white brush, catclaw, and some oaks and juniper.

Wildlife

This property is home to many species of birds, raptors, songbirds, and game birds such as Blue (Scaled) Quail, Mourning Dove and White Wing Dove, as well as larger wildlife of the desert such as Desert Mule Deer and Javelina. The brush and grasses provide excellent habitat for these game and non-game animals. This is Chihuahuan Desert hunting land at its best and a nature lovers dream.

Improvements

The Headquarters is located a mile off the paved Casa Piedra Road on an improved caliche ranch road and looks straight at San Jacinto Peak, a stunning western backdrop to this wide open big sky in south Presidio County. There is an adobe and brick home with lots of character in need of repair but with plenty of potential. It also has a mural painted along the porch, depicting the rich Spanish and ranching heritage of the area. Great sets of pens include a loading chute, as well as two excellent metal barns with electricity and concrete floors. At one time, the grounds around the home were well-landscaped. Its a working ranch complex that would make for a rustic yet functioning headquarters.

Other improvements include two submersible wells with electricity, one windmill, an extensive road network, fair fencing, and several earthen dams for summer water.

Water

The Alamito Creek watershed has some of the most prolific groundwater systems in the

area. There are four wells on the ranch, three being submersible pumps, and one a windmill.

All the wells are less than 250 feet.

Price

$495 per acre or $1,577,565