Marfa, TX 79843(Presidio County)

The Ryan Ranch is a working cattle ranch which has been well managed by the same family for over seven and a half decades. The facilities, waters, pens, tanks, barns and residences are in great working condition with a headquarters complex located centrally with beautiful large trees and excellent view in all directions. The remains of the movie set of the film Giant is right next to the headquarters and one can only imaging Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Rock Hudson and others being there in this great setting.

Habitat

The landscape is wide-open rolling grassland surrounded by rugged, blue mountain ranges which can be seen from most places within the buildings and throughout the property. Classic Cattle County of the Old West, the Marfa Plateau has maintained much of the environment and appearance of times past. This vast ranch lies in a narrow elevation range between 4,600 and 5,060 feet allowing for a mix of vegetation from the mid-high Chihuahuan Desert such as Spanish dagger, yucca, sotol, and cholla with a dominate grassland of blue grama, sideoats grama, black grama, tabosa, bear grass, and cane bluestem with areas of scattered brush. Ryan Flat noted on the Topo map is a broad open grassland on the ranch and is a mix of grama grasses and expansive tabosa flats. Wild Horse Draw cuts through the middle of the ranch and is a collection point for grassland runoff during the summer monsoons capturing water into several large dirt tanks.

Wildlife

This property, as part of the Marfa Plateau, is home to many species of birds, raptors, songbirds, and upland game birds including Mourning Dove and Blue (Scaled) Quail as well as larger wildlife of the open prairie such as Pronghorn Antelope, and Desert Mule Deer. The grasses and brush provide excellent habitat for these game and non-game animals. This is Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands at its best and a bird hunters dream.

Improvements

The headquarters has three homes and a bunk house, one being the owners residence which is a well built two story ranch style design with nice mature oak trees, landscaping, and long front porch for views of the Davis Mountains towering nearby. This home is 5 Bedroom- 5 Bath, with two living areas, modern kitchen, dining room, swimming pool, lighted tennis court, and huge porches for outdoor activities. The old historic Adobe home is next door which serves as additional living quarters, and there is a nice 3 Bedroom-2 Bath brick foreman house nearby. The Bunkhouse has two porches with kitchen, walk in cooler and bunks for cowboys during roundup and cattle works. Another feature of the Headquarters is the large concrete and steel Horse barn with 14 separate stalls, tack room and ample storage. There is also a separate adobe shop with multiple rooms. There are several outbuildings, sheds, chicken house, and supply buildings making the headquarters a fully functioning center of this vast ranch. Also located here is a great pipe working pens and overhead feed loading facility all in great shape. Near the headquarters is a roping arena and traps for roping stock that has been used by the family for many years.

The Ryan Pens located along highway 90 and the union pacific railroad is also part of the ranch and is used by many as a shipping and gathering facility. This massive timber pens reminds one of the days cattle moved by rail and the classic cattle country it served.

The Aerostat owned by the US Air Force leases a 24 ac site on the highway and operates a tethered reconnaissance balloon for low flying aircraft detection. This facility has a well and provides water as part of the lease to the upper pastures of the ranch.

The map enclosed shows the various pastures and the water system that serves them. Fencing is in good working order as this is an operating ranch. Stocking rates are based on forage availability from annual rainfall which average year might be 15 AUY per section.

Water

The Marfa plateau has excellent groundwater known as the West Texas Bolsons and the

Ryan Aquifer segment provides an abundance of groundwater for livestock and wildlife.

The ranch has 6 wells with a well designed pipeline and water storage/trough system that

distributes water throughout the ranch. There are also several large dirt tanks

scattered through the ranch that with summer rains provides additional water and habitat.