Casa Piedra Road , Marfa, TX 79843(Presidio County)

Located in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, Alamito Waters Ranch is dominated by one of the largest naturally-flowing artesian wells in the entire region, flowing 25,000 gallons per day into a beautiful crystal clear lake, then as outflow drainage through a mosaic of marshes and stream-beds to Alamito Creek. This ranch is comprised of mid-lower elevation grasslands and scrubland of basin range topography, between the Davis Mountains to the north, the Chinati Mountains to the West, and the Bofecillos Mountains and Rio Grande River to the south. The ranch adjoins Cottonwood-lined Alamito Creek to the north, which flows into Big Bend State park just a mile downstream.

Alamito Waters Ranch has excellent views of area mountains including Pulpito, an interesting rock spire outcrop to the west, as well as the entire Cienega mountains to the north. Casa Piedra Road divides the ranch with the artesian well, lake, and Alamito Creek being to the north of the road and a beautiful escarpment near the property edge to the south of the road.

Habitat

The landscape is wide-open rolling desert grass and scrub surrounded by rugged mountain ranges which can be seen from most places on the property. Classic Big Bend County of the Old West, Alamito Waters Ranch has maintained much of the environment and appearance of times past. This vast area lies in a narrow elevation range between 3,600 and 3,400 feet allowing for a mix of vegetation from the mid to lower Chihuahuan Desert such as Spanish dagger, yucca, creosote, ocotillo, and cholla with a mix of chino grama, black grama, bear grass, and side oats grama with scattered brush. Huge Cottonwood trees follow the creek where walking trails under the shade become a world apart from the adjoining desert. In springtime, this landscape is in bloom with a wide variety of cactus, yucca, and native plants including the Big Bend Bluebonnets. Tributaries to Alamito Creek have heavier brushlike mesquite, desert willow, white brush, and catclaw.

Wildlife

The lake, with its 24/7 artesian flow of water, is a magnet for game and non-game species. Ducks and shorebirds call this area home for half of the year and the migrating songbirds and monarch butterflies use the Cottonwood Gallery forest as a corridor for migration. This property is home to many species of birds, raptors, songbirds, and game birds such as Blue (Scaled) Quail, Morning Dove and White-Winged Dove, as well as larger mammals of the desert, such as Desert Mule Deer and javelina. The brush, forbs, 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.