Living Springs Ranch

Location

The ranch is located in Deuel County, Nebraska 5 miles west of Chappell, 25 miles east of Sidney, and 48 miles west of Ogallala. Extensive services are available in these communities for banking, legal, medical and shopping. Chappell presents a nice little community to live in, play in, dine in, and shop in, as it is a friendly, caring and active community. Sidney is home to Cabela’s World’s Foremost Outfitter’s original flagship retail store and world corporate headquarters. The retail store boasts 85,000 square feet filled with merchandise and museum quality animal displays in realistic settings. The Sidney airport boasts a 6,600’ runway. The population of Sidney is approximately 6,750 people. The town is home to several modern hotels, restaurants, shopping, recreation and dining opportunities. The ranch is 2 hours from Cheyenne, Wyoming and 3 hours from Denver, Colorado.

Climate

This entire area enjoys moderate climate in both the summer and winter. Elevations surrounding the area range from 3,700 to 3,800 feet. The following chart is a weather summary for nearby Sidney, Nebraska.

• Average January Temperature: 25.7°
• Average July Temperature: 77.7°
• Average Annual Precipitation: 16.2”
• Average Date of Last Frost: May 7
• Average Date of First Frost: October 2
• Average Growing Season: 148 Days

Improvements & Working Facilities

The ranch includes improvements located at two sites. The east site is where the current owners reside and includes a modest set of improvements in both size and value. There is an older 1,200 square foot ranch home that has been nicely remodeled with 2 bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms.  Additional buildings include a 2 stall garage, a slant wall steel storage building with a concrete floor, an older 1,760 square foot barn and various corrals. This site also includes submersible wells for domestic use and separate livestock wells.

The west site also includes a modest set of improvements with a majority of the working buildings and cattle facilities. The house located on this site is 1,292 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, forced air heat and was remodeled. Historically this site was used for feeding a large number of cattle within feeding pens equipped with concrete feed bunks. Most of these bunks and aprons remain in good condition. The fences, corrals and working facilities need some work and maintenance. The historic barn is 1,152 square feet.  Additional buildings at this site include a 1,563 square foot Quonset building with a concrete floor, a storage shed and a 15’ x 29’ grain bin with a concrete floor. As for cattle working facilities, there is a scale and cattle semi-circle with alley. The site includes a corral system including seven corrals with feeding system and concrete bunks as well as previously used concrete silo floors for implement and inventory storage.

The sellers currently carry between 140 – 150 pairs on the ranch. There are five fenced and cross-fenced pastures on the property. The pastures contain three stock dams, two windmills with 30’ tanks and two 1,000 gallon stock tanks including one that has a 5,000 gallon buried cistern.

Hunting

Wildlife is bountiful on the property. Waterfowl, especially ducks, are plentiful in Lodgepole Creek. Wild turkeys are occasionally seen on the property in the numerous Cottonwood Trees. Mule deer love the ranch and occasionally White Tail Deer and Antelope are present. With its abundant live water, varying vegetation and feed, the property truly lends itself to a hunting property. At the very least the pure enjoyment of your wild visitors is ample.

Recreation

Additional recreational opportunities are close by. Lake McConaughy is only 1 hour east of the ranch and is Nebraska’s biggest lake and the largest reservoir in a three state region. At full storage, Lake Mac is twenty miles long, four miles wide, and 142 feet deep at the dam. Built on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills, Lake Mac offers natural white sand beaches, excellent fishing, boating, camping and all types of outdoor recreation. Lake Mac was recently voted #14 in the Top 100 Family Places to fish and boat in the U.S.

Ranch Operations

This is a production Ag property that can be used for feed or re-sale. Agriculture operations in the area include a combination of both dry and either gravity or pivot irrigated crop production, together with rangeland for cattle operations. Winter feeding of calves and yearlings is also prevalent on farms within the area. There are several large commercial feedlots that are located within the region. Irrigation in Lodgepole Creek Valley is mostly by irrigation well with some gravity fed irrigation. Crop production is based upon management ability, soils type, availability of water and annual weather patterns. Living Springs Ranch provides the tools for good production. Irrigated corn yields in the area can vary from 120 to 170 bushels per acre, alfalfa from 3 to 5 tons per acre, and winter wheat from 30 to 50 bushels per acre. If desired, many qualified tenants are available throughout the area. The current owner averages 6 tons per acre of quality cane hay on the property. Historically the ranch has raised corn, millet, sunflowers, alfalfa and forage sorghum.

For purposes of the USDA FSA programs, Living Springs Ranch is administered by the Deuel County FSA office. The property is registered as FSA farm number 5725. All FSA reports and 156EZ forms will be provided to interested and qualified buyers.

The soils of Deuel County have been mapped by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Rangeland soils in the northern portions of the property are typical within the community including, Blueridge-Altvan, 6-30% slopes. All irrigated portions, including both gravity and pivot irrigated acres are a combination of soils including excellent Class II soils. Class II soils include Ralton loam, 0-1% slope and small amounts of Las Anamous loam 0-1% slope. These irrigated portions also include amounts of Chappell-Allis-Broadwater complex 0-3% slope.

Livestock Available

The owners are considering selling some of their livestock. The current stock consists of approximately 70 bred Angus based cows and 4 registered Angus bulls.

Water Rights

Water is plentiful on this property.  More than 5 miles of Lodgepole Creek meander through the property. There are springs on the creek that help to keep this stretch of Lodgepole Creek live year round. The creek is not a fishery but it provides a tremendous benefit for the cattle and horses as well as wildlife. The ranch has approximately 350 acres of sub-irrigated grass that provides for excellent grazing. Additional information is available to qualified parties.

Mineral Rights

Seller owns the minerals and all owned will transfer with the sale.

Investment Value

Living Springs Ranch is a great property with tremendous water and production value. The property provides everything needed for an ag/cattle operator.

Property Taxes

The 2015 property taxes were $15,566.44.