Willow Creek Ironside Ranch

A sprawling eastern Oregon ranch with year-round water offered by Knipe Land Company. View the details below, or visit our website for more information.www.knipeland.com/listing/wil...
Located in Malheur County near the Malheur Reservoir and the unincorporated town of Ironside, Oregon. This area is known for its cattle ranches and hunting. Only 30 minutes from Unity, less than an hour from Vale, Oregon, and just over two hours from Boise, Idaho. Good access with Highway 26, John Day Highway, passing through Ironside. The area offers views of several peaks including Ironside Mountain, Cow Valley Butte, and Juniper Mountain. While mostly comprised of rolling sagebrush hills with a scattering of juniper trees, this area offers hidden gems including springs, and draws hiding rock outcroppings, creeks, and brush all in an ecosystem where elk, deer, bear, and upland game birds including sage hen and grouse thrive.
This 917± acres embodies the essence of a true ranch with irrigable hay meadows, expansive pastures, and sprawling rangeland. A total of 482± acres are cultivable and the remaining 434± acres is range land. Water rights for irrigation, supplemental irrigation, and stock water are available for 428± acres. The irrigation infrastructure includes deep irrigation wells that can provide water to most of the irrigated land, while the southern parcels benefit from direct access to Willow Creek.
In recent years, two pivots have operated on approximately 136 acres of irrigated land, complemented by wheel lines and 1± mile of underground pipe. The deep water wells feed the land under the pivot and wheel lines. The area mainly grows alfalfa, grass hay, and pasture. Common practice produces 2-3 cuttings a year with alfalfa while the grass hay provides season-long pasture after an initial cutting. The creek rights are dependent on snow level and have been primarily used for pasture land as they do not run a full season.
Improvements:
The property boasts a historic barn with older corrals and a cattle scale. There is also fiber optic cable buried along the road providing good internet connectivity.
Water:
What sets this ranch apart is the presence of live water sources, including the year-round Willow Creek and seasonal Long Creek, augmented by the Rutherford Ditch. These waterways collectively form a lifeline for both livestock and native wildlife, creating an unparalleled haven for hunters. Willow Creek not only quenches the thirst of livestock and wildlife but also nurtures a thriving ecosystem that includes Rainbow Trout and serves as a sanctuary for waterfowl and upland game birds. The regular presence of elk and deer further enriches the ranch’s allure.
Recreation:
An excellent location for the hunter, located in the Sumpter (51) Oregon Fish & Wildlife Hunt Unit. There are Land Owner Preference tags available. Over recent years, the seller has taken 19 elk of 6 points or more from his property, plus Mule deer, upland game birds such as chukar sage grouse, and waterfowl. There is also plenty of room for horseback riding, ATVs, and hiking. Not to mention the Malheur Reservoir is just down the road.
If you are a hard-working rancher looking for an operational gem or an avid outdoorsman seeking an expansive retreat, this place checks both boxes. The land offers the variety and beauty of the high desert. Whether you want to raise livestock, hunt, explore the hills, and watch wildlife, or simply bask in the tranquility of nature, this ranch is a perfect place for it all.