SPRING CREEK RANCH 1,557 Acres on La Barge Creek in Lincoln and Sublette Counties of Southwestern Wyoming
LOCATION and ACCESS The Spring Creek Meadow Ranch straddles La Barge Creek in Sublette and Lincoln Counties with approximate driving distances as follows: La Barge Big Piney Jackson Yellowstone Park Evanston Salt Lake City
13 Miles 35 Miles 125 Miles 185 Miles 116 Miles 195 Miles
Access from La Barge and US Highway 89 is paved for about 12 miles with a well-maintained gravel road for the last two miles. Private jets regularly land at Miley Memorial Field located about five miles north of Big Piney which is about 40 miles from the Ranch. Elevation – 6,990 Feet Above Sea Level Runway Length – 6,800 Feet Paved Runway Width – 75 Feet Night Lighting – PAPI 122.7 Jet A and AV Gas Available Telephone Numbers: 307-276-4022 or 307-260-8282 After Hours Delta Airlines flies regularly into Jackson Hole which is about 125 miles north of the Ranch via US Highway 89. The Ranch’s strategic location affords a wealth of outdoor recreational activities. It is surrounded on three sides by Bureau of Land Management land and lies just eight miles from the famed Bridger-Teton National Forest. The road from La Barge to the Ranch continues about 50 miles west through this beautiful Forest to the scenic Star Valley and the attractive town of Afton. The trout-rich Green River is only 15 miles east of the Ranch and Fontenelle Reservoir on the River is about 22 miles away.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION The Spring Creek Ranch encompasses approximately 917 contiguous deeded acres plus 640 acres of State leased land. It is beautifully tucked in a small mountain valley. Scenic stands of conifers, quaking aspen groves and lush, green meadows are all complimented by La Barge Creek which flows through its middle for about two “map miles”. The buildings sit on a hill overlooking meadows with aspen and evergreen laced mountains rising behind them. The Ranch’s elevation ranges from 7,100' to nearly 8,000' above sea level. It escapes Wyoming’s severest cold and wind because of the protected location against the mountains. Mule deer are commonly seen in the meadows and elk frequent the Ranch. Moose are often seen in the meadows along the Creek while lines are cast for La Barge Creek’s abundant trout.
RANCH PRODUCTION The Seller has purposely limited agricultural and livestock production to running a few saddle horses for personal use – most of the land is managed to provide optimum wildlife and trout fishing habitat. Elk, moose and mule deer are drawn to and stay on the Ranch because of this foresight. Part of the Ranch’s south end has been leased to a neighbor for grass hay production. In return, the Seller receives enough hay for the horses. The next owner could continue this lease arrangement or could carefully expand hay production while maintaining the natural habitat that has been so wisely nurtured.
DESCRIPTION of IMPROVEMENTS The Spring Creek Ranch is set up for year ’round enjoyment. The facilities were built with fine materials. The owner’s log home and bunkhouse serve as a perfect fishing and hunting retreat as well as a strategic “home base” for excursions into the beautiful Bridger-Teton National Forest. Owner’s Log Home – Built Late 1990s – Contains About 4,430 Square Feet Main Floor 1,850 sf Loft 800 sf Walk-Out Lower Level 1,020 sf Attached Garage 660 sf This home enjoys a commanding view of the Ranch, the Fishing Pond and the La Barge Creek Valley. High-quality materials and components were utilized in building this comfortable home: 10" Milled Wall Logs 12" Perlin Logs 2" x 6" Tongue and Groove Decking Bauer Metal Weather-Lock Shingles Pozzi All-Wood Thermo-Pane Windows and Doors Summit Sliding Windows in Basement Stanley All-Wood Entry Door with Leaded Glass 23' High Fieldstone Rock Wood-Burning Fireplace – 42" Fire Box Old-Fashioned Wood Cook Stove in Kitchen Maple Flooring in Living and Dining Rooms 16" Ceramic Tile in Entry, Sunroom, Kitchen, Breakfast Area, Mudroom, Laundry and Half-Bath Ceramic Tile in Master Bath, Kitchen Counters and All Other Baths American Standard Plumbing Fixtures Jetted Master Bath Tub – 42" x 72" SubZero 35" Side-by-Side Refrigerator Miele Ultra-Wash Dishwasher GE Self-Cleaning Range and Oven Whirlpool Microwave with Exhaust Fan Kenmore Heavy Duty Washer and Dryer Williamsport-Kraftmaid Birch Wood Kitchen Cabinets All-Wood 6-Panel Interior Doors Two White-Rodgers 50-Gallon Water Heaters with Programmable Electronic Digital Thermostats Goodman Power-Vented Gas and Propane Forced-Air Furnace – 150,000 BTU with Digital Thermostat Flint & Wanning Submergible Well Pump – ½ HP X-Trol 86-Gallon Water Storage Tank Vellux Skylights in Sunroom and Master Bath Interior Walls are Conventionally Framed with Sheetrock Surfaces Two 1,000-Gallon Propane Tanks Weber Bar-B-Que Range Connected to Propane
Log Guest Cabin – 12' x 26' Wood-Burning Stove Small Kitchen Bedroom with Bunks for Four People Bathroom Pilots and Caretaker Home – 30' x 52' – Two Levels – About 3,100 SF Upstairs Quarters for Corporate Pilots Downstairs Quarters for Caretaker Built in 2006 – Comfortably Furnished Log Barn – 16' x 40' Three 100-Gallon Fuel Tanks with Hand Vacuum Pump Pump House – 8' x 10' Shelters the Water Treatment System for Domestic Well Machine Storage Shed – 20' x 50' Supporting Improvements Domestic Well Hooked to 500-Gallon Reserve Tank Equipped with Gould Pump for Constant Pressure 20 Kilowatt Kohler Backup Generator for Owner’s Home with a 1,000-Gallon Propane Tank Dish Satellite Television System – Wired for Five TV Sets 100-Ampere Electricity to Owner’s Home, Guest Cabin and Pump House 200-Ampere Electricity to Log Barn Fishing Preserve Reservoir Developed for Trout Propagation Surface Area is About 2.50 Acres Storage Capacity for About 8.30 Acre-Feet of Water
WATER RIGHTS The Seller purchased the Ranch in two separate transactions. The first purchase encompassed approximately 490 acres of deeded land. Appurtenant water rights are tabulated below: Appropriator Name & Priority Date
Permit Number
Water Source
Delivery
Water Right Acreage
Water Volume CFS
Joshua Twichel 5-06-1895
974
Rock Creek
Twichel Ditch No. 1
40
0.570
Joshua Twichel 5-06-1895
975
LaBarge Creek
Twichel Ditch No. 2
60
0.85
LaBarge Creek
Twichel Ditch No.2
110
1.570
Spring Creek
Guyette Ditch No. 1
71
1.010
Joshua Twichel 3-19-1906
1514 Enl
Joseph Guyette 12-08-1913
12161
Joseph Guyette 12-08-1913
2882 Enl
LaBarge Creek
Twichel Ditch No. 2-Enl
54
0.770
Herman Guyette 6-22-1953
5684 Enl
LaBarge Creek
Twichel Ditch No. 1-Enl
20
0.280
________
_____
355 Acres
5.050 CFS
Phillips Pipeline
Domestic Use
0.056
Phillips Ditch
Reservoir for Fish
8.33 10-18Acre-Feet
TOTAL Clifford Long 7-14-1988
30063
Spring Creek
Clifford Long 1988
30295
Spring Creek
Long No. 1
95597
Well
The second purchase encompassed approximately 430 acres of deeded land. Appurtenant water rights are tabulated as follows: Appropriator Name & Priority Date
Permit Number
Water Source
Delivery
Water Right Acreage
Water Volume CFS
George Whitman 5-10-1894
1917
LaBarge Creek
Whitman Ditch
30
0.430
Oliver Twichel 11-20-1899
2373
LaBarge Creek
Uraina Ditch
8
0.120
Joshua Twichel 3-19-1906
1514 Enl
LaBarge Creek
Twichel Ditch No. 2
10
0.143
Dola Genetti 05-03-1939
5189 Enl
LaBarge Creek
Whitman Ditch No. 2 Enl
51
0.715
Joseph Krall 10-06-1952
5655 Enl
LaBarge Creek
Anderson Enl & Howard Ditch
40
0.571
TOTAL
________
_____
139 Acres
1.980 CFS
The Ranch’s strongest water rights are those which pre-date 1900. From the preceding tabulations, it appears as if the Ranch has pre-1900 rights for about 138 acres with volume of about 1.97 CFS. The enlargement or supplemental rights dated between 1900 and 1915 are for a total 245 acres with a volume of about 3.49 CFS. Currently, the Ranch is irrigating about 250 to 300 acres of grass hay fields and pasture land. If the next owner wanted to maximize the Ranch’s livestock capacity or hay production, he would need to carefully remove some of the willow patches – which provide fine moose habitat and food protection for the Creek’s trout – and redo some of the ditches for more efficient water use. All of this should be judiciously weighed against the primary reason for acquiring this “Wyoming jewel” . . . . which surely should be for recreational enjoyment and personal renewal. La Barge Creek drains a large area of mountain land and, in all but the driest of years, will generate far more water than the Ranch could use even if the owner attempted to put all of the “water righted” land into production. Furthermore, the Ranch is the first place to use significant water from La Barge Creek after it leaves a vast area of BLM and Forest Service land. This location provides “highority” as well as “priority” for its water rights.
The preceding tabulation has been compiled from information deemed to be reliable; however, neither the Seller nor Broker warrant any of the water right information to be accurate or factual. Prospective Buyers are urged to seek independent and competent advice concerning the Spring Creek Ranch’s water rights.
RECREATION While the Spring Creek Meadow Ranch supports traditional ranching recreational activities such as hunting, biking, four-wheeling, hiking and horseback riding, the most incredible resources are its fishing and big-game habitats. The Ranch contains 2.40 miles of La Barge Creek measured as the crow flies from where it enters the upper end o f the Ranch to where it exits from the lower meadows. Measuring the stream as the fisherman walks, it affords five miles of quiet pools, eddies and riffles. The state grazing lease offers an additional two miles of prime fishery. The Ranch is a big game paradise. Numerous Shiras moose live in the secluded marshes and willows year ’round. Each Spring brings a fine crop of calves. Rocky Mountain elk also abound – many winter on the Ranch’s meadows and the cows take advantage of the tree cover to nurture their calves. Good numbers mule deer roam the Ranch as well as the occasional antelope. The Phillips Fishing Preserve Reservoir has also been developed for trout propagation by utilizing water flow from Spring Creek. This reservoir has a surface area of about 2.50 acres and stores about 8.30 acre-feet of water. It is a beautiful asset for enjoyment of the Ranch, serving as a “putting green” before plying La Barge Creek’s waters with a favorite fly selection. For several years, the Ranch was featured on the Outdoor Channel’s popular . Sunday night series
HISTORY Western Wyoming was best known to the mountain men and enterprising fur traders of the early 19th Century. It was also the prized hunting and fishing grounds of the Shoshone and Blackfoot Tribes. Explorer Jim Bridger and fur trader William Sublette were both prominent in the area and years later a national forest and a county were named after them. History is rekindled every summer by the wild and wooly Green River Rendezvous, located just 40 miles north of the Ranch. The gathering, originally organized in 1832 by the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, was a month-long bartering session during which prized beaver pelts were exchanged for cheap whisky and glass beads.
Jim Bridger
In the early 1900s President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the pristine beauty of the wilds of Western Wyoming by setting aside Yellowstone National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the Upper Green River Valley. This area has become world-renown for its big-game hunting, trout fishing, upland bird hunting, hiking, camping, mountain biking and snowmobiling. Sublette and Lincoln Counties comprise one of the last areas in the United States where abundant huntable numbers of elk and moose exist. Some of the best mule deer hunting in Wyoming is found here. Pronghorn antelope and big-horn sheep are also present. World-record trout are pulled from many of the lakes in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Over 800 miles of Green River tributaries run through Sublette and Lincoln Counties. La Barge Creek is a prime habitat for trout with its source beginning in one of the numerous high-mountain lakes in the National Forest. The Creek is very wadable after Spring run-off . . . its many bends provide an interesting blend of quiet pools and sparkling riffles which afford many hours of private relaxation.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION The Spring Creek Ranch owns approximately 917 acres of deeded land and leases about 640 acres of state land in Lincoln and Sublette Counties of Wyoming, described as follows: Lincoln County Tax Parcel Numbers 2614-033-00-028 2614-042-00-008 2614-052-00-021 2615-011-00-100
380.00 Acres 279.63 Acres 79.29 Acres 40.00 Acres (Base for State Lease)
Sublette County Tax Parcel Number 09-00-04931
138.51 Acres
WYOMING STATE GRAZING LEASE NO. 3-8621 640 Contiguous Acres; 136 AUMs of Grazing; Runs to March 1, 2020 and Renewed Every 10 Years; Annual Cost of $614.72.
MINERAL RIGHTS The Seller makes no representation as to quantity or quality of any mineral, oil, gas or hydro-carbon rights. The Seller will grant 60% of whatever rights the Seller may now own with the sale to the Buyer.
REAL ESTATE TAXES – 2014 – $3,943.17 Lincoln County – $1,451.00 – 778.92 Acres Sublette County – $2,492.17 – 138.51 Acres and Buildings
UTILITIES Electrical Service – Internet Service – Telephone Service – Cellular Service –
PacificCorp WildBlue Union Telephone Company Sporadic
SUMMARY The Cowboy State offers a wonderful outdoor lifestyle plus economic stability not often found in the United States. Its rich Western history plus the attraction of Yellowstone and Teton National Parks make it unique in that the development of the recreational and tourist industry has been carefully planned and controlled. It is not often that a good-sized land holding controlling both banks of a beautiful year ’round stream such as the Spring Creek Ranch becomes available. For the individual or a small group of partners looking for simple, uncomplicated ownership and enjoyment this is an ideal place. The Ranch is not a “postage stamp” – encompassing about 1,557 acres of deeded and state lease land, it provides plenty of room to roam. Its most important asset is control of both banks of a beautiful personal-sized trout-rich stream. If the Ranch’s stretch of La Barge Creek was “flat-ironed”, it would measure about five walking miles in some of the West’s finest trout fishing and big-game habitat. While some cattle could be summer-grazed on the Ranch’s meadows and some hay could be harvested – both of which might be best accomplished by a lease arrangement with a local rancher to preclude investment in cattle and high-priced haying machinery. The next owner may also want to continue to keep a few favorite saddle horses for personal use. The Spring Creek Ranch’s strategic location in the midst of such prime big-game hunting, attractive trout waters, and magnificent scenery combine to afford a great escape from hectic city life and business pressures. It is no wonder that in recent years Western Wyoming has attracted some of the Nation’s presidents, political leaders and prominent corporate chiefs as they retreat to this beautiful region to escape from the world’s complications. They have also discovered the Cowboy State’s very favorable tax structure which levies no personal state income or inheritance taxes.