Camas Creek Ranch

Missoula, Montana
$1,250,000

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Camas Creek Ranch is a highly productive small ranch that lies in close proximity to diverse recreational opportunities, offering an owner an attractive balance of lifestyle. The ranch includes 380± acres and a ranch compound including two homes, two barns and a number of other outbuildings. The terrain is mostly flat except for a timbered hillside which accounts for about 120 acres. The rest of the property is irrigated and fenced for hay and pasture. Missoula is only 20 minutes away, allowing easy access to services and an international airport.

Camas Creek Ranch is located in Missoula County, Montana in the Potomac Valley. The property is accessed directly off Highway 200 about 20 minutes northeast of Missoula, Montana. Delta (including the former Northwest Airlines) and United Airlines serve the Missoula International Airport from their respective hubs in Salt Lake City/Minneapolis and Denver with several arrivals and departures each day. Missoula is also served by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, providing in-state service and nonstop service to the West Coast.

The Potomac Valley is a small agricultural community located on the outskirts of what one writer penned as “the most sophisticated small city in America” – Missoula. The Valley serves as a gateway to Montana’s famed Blackfoot Valley, one of the most highly sought-after locations in the Rockies due to its rural charm and the strong conservation ethic that has kept it that way.

Missoula is about 20 miles away and is the quintessential “college town,” home to the University of Montana. With over 150 restaurants, numerous theaters and community programs and a population of over 50,000, Missoula offers everything imaginable in the way of services and entertainment. Snowbowl Ski Area is located about 15 minutes north of Missoula and offers great downhill runs for intermediate to expert skiers and snowboarders. The nearby Bob Marshall Wilderness complex gives backcountry enthusiasts access to over 1.5 million acres of wilderness.

Summer is mild with temperatures only occasionally reaching into the 90s. Spring is variable with rains providing needed moisture for the native range. Fall is arguably the most beautiful time of year with cold nights (20s and 30s) and cool days in the 50s and 60s. The tamaracks, quaking aspens and cottonwoods are vibrant with color in September and October. Winter snow depths average 12 inches with temperatures falling below zero at times.

Precipitation Zone - 10 – 15 inches annually.

The entire valley is surrounded by timbered hills with the Garnet Mountain Range rising south of the valley. Camas Creek Ranch lies on the Camas Prairie in western Montana’s Potomac Valley. The Valley is modest in size measuring roughly 8± miles from east to west and 4± miles from north to south, though in some places the valley floor is less than a mile wide.

The property fronts on Highway 200 to the north and has two points of access. The primary access is from the east off Potomac Road approximately ¼ mile south of the highway. The improvements are clustered at this location on the eastern boundary. From this point looking westward one can see the irrigated fields which remain green throughout the irrigation season (late spring, summer and fall). All four creeks enter the property along the eastern edge of the property and generally flow in a westerly direction. A timbered ridge on the property that protrudes onto the valley floor can be seen to the southwest from this location as well. The other access is from Morrison Lane on the west side of the property. Morrison Lane is located ¾ mile west of Potomac Road on Highway 200. The northwest corner of the property can be accessed from Morrison Lane approximately ¼ mile south of Highway 200. Morrison Lane follows the property’s western boundary for approximately 1/3 mile before it turns east at the base of the timbered ridge at which point it bisects the property. This road turns back to the south after ¼ mile and then travels along the property’s eastern boundary at the edge of the timbered ridge for approximately ½ mile.

Improvements are clustered in a compound and include the following:

Main Home: This home was built in 1941 and includes 1,100 square feet on the main floor with a full basement. There are three bedrooms and one bath.
Bunkhouse: The two-bedroom, one-bath bunkhouse was built in 1892 and remodeled in1988. The bunkhouse contains 600 square feet on the main floor with a second story totaling 492 square feet. There is an Artesian Spring behind this home.

Single-wide trailer house
Barn: Built in 1900 the barn has 3,120 square feet
Horse Barn: Built in 1960 the horse barn has 3,666 square feet
Horse Barn: Built in 1997 including a large riding arena
Shop/Garage
Several miscellaneous sheds

The current owner uses the ranch as a hay and cattle ranch. The owner currently runs only 30-40 head but indicates that the ranch has a carrying capacity of approximately 75 pairs. Hay production varies from 300-600 tons which comes from one cutting on all but 40 acres where there are two.

The Blackfoot can provide excellent fishing for rainbows, browns and cutthroat trout. Camas Creek Ranch is situated less than five miles from the Blackfoot River Recreation Corridor, a 30-mile stretch of river that benefits from a cooperative agreement between the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks and private landowners, allowing the public access to an outstanding fishery. The Blackfoot is also one of the last strongholds of the endangered bull trout which can grow upwards of 35 inches. There are also a multitude of fishable small streams and creeks in the area. The entire area is home to a diverse array of wildlife including whitetail deer, mule deer, bears (grizzly and black), mountain lions and elk. The owner reports harvesting several nice bull elk each year.

Conservation Easement
There is a conservation easement in place held by Five Valleys Land Trust. The easement allows for the construction of one additional residence within one of two building envelopes as shown on the brochure maps. Full documentation is available upon request.

380±

Timberland: 120± Acres
Irrigated (pasture and hay): 250± Acres
Homestead: 10± Acres

The sellers may require that a buyer accommodate their need to conduct an I.R.C. Section 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange upon sale.

Camas Creek Ranch has excellent stock and irrigation water rights with priority dates ranging between 1883 and 1904. There are seven water rights for irrigation (flood and sprinkler) and six stock water rights. All of these rights are sourced from Union, Ashby and Arkansas. There is also a claim for domestic water dating to 1915 out of an unnamed tributary of Camas Creek and a well that was drilled in 1992 that has a recorded flow rate of 20 gallons per minute. The well is for domestic, land and garden and stock water use. (This information was obtained from The State of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and is subject to independent verification.)

Property taxes are approximately $2,799 annually.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES – Hall and Hall’s Management Division has a very clear mission – To represent the owner and to ensure that his or her experience is a positive one. Services are customized to suit the owner’s needs. They often begin with the recruiting and hiring of a suitable ranch manager or caretaker and are followed by the development of a management or operating plan along with appropriate budgets. Ongoing services include bill paying, ranch oversight, and consulting services as needed. Even the most sophisticated and experienced ranch owners appreciate the value of a management firm representing them and providing advice on local area practices and costs. Wes Oja and Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or Randy Clavel at (303) 861-8282 are available to describe and discuss these services in detail and welcome your call.

RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT SERVICES – Increasingly the value of a ranch is measured by the quality of each and every one of its resources. Coincidentally the enhancement of a ranch’s resources also increases the pleasure that one derives from the ownership of a ranch. Our management services have included the assessment of everything from wildlife habitat to bird habitat to water resources and fisheries and the subsequent oversight of the process involved with the enhancement of these resources. Wes Oja or Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 are available to describe and discuss these services in detail and welcome your call.

SPECIALIZED LENDING - Over the past 59 years Hall and Hall has created a legacy by efficiently providing capital to the intermountain west. In addition to traditional farm and ranch loans, we specialize in understanding the unique aspects of placing loans on ranches where value may be influenced by recreational features, location and improvements and repayment may come from outside sources. Our extensive experience and strong relationships with our lenders allows us to quickly tell you whether we can provide the required financing.

Competitive Pricing • Flexible Terms • Efficient Processing
In-House Appraisals • Common Sense Underwriting
Dave Roddy • (406) 656-7500
Mike Hall, Judy Chirila, or Randy Clavel • (303) 861-8282
Monte Lyons • (806) 698-6882