14243 County Road 17 , Craig, CO 81625(Moffat County)

The Sweeney Ranch consists of 3,378 +/- acres of lush green hayfields under 3 types of irrigation, rolling hills, and approximately 9.5 +/- miles of the Yampa River winding through the middle of the property! The flat hay meadows with partial wooded areas creep into rolling sagebrush covered hills which then slowly rise into the steep slopes of Duffy mountain and other cedar filled draws. As the land rises up the draws, there are clear benches that offer phenomenal views that stretch from Juniper Mountain, all the way to Black Mountain and many other small mountains in the distance! As a result of various types of terrain, one may frequently see a variety of species such as elk, deer, antelope, and waterfowl throughout the property. This ranch provides every essential trait needed for livestock and wildlife to thrive on!

Improvements

Located on the property are 4 homes, 2 of which currently have residents living in them, and 2 that are empty. A barn used as an equipment and storage shop is also located adjacent to the house on the river. Throughout the property, you will find several quality sets of corrals used for livestock, one of which has certified scales. There are also numerous hay stackyards dispersed around the ranch that have been well maintained.

Recreation

The Sweeney River Ranch is located in hunting units 301 and 211. The ranch qualifies for multiple landowner vouchers for deer and antelope, whereas elk tags can be bought over-the-counter for units 211 and 301 in multiple seasons. The ranch also borders thousands of acres of BLM on multiple sides for additional hunting, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and off-roading. Take your fishing pole and test your luck in the 9.5 +/- miles of Yampa River that meanders through the property and contains pike, bass, and trout, or hop in a raft and enjoy floating the river to the many takeout locations down-river.

Agriculture

The land consists of approximately 1,434 +/- acres of quality hayfields under pivot, gated pipe, and flood irrigation. After being blessed with a winter that provided a large amount of snow and having an efficient source of water for irrigation, the hayfields throughout the ranch are always plentiful. At least 1 hay stackyard is located in or near each field due to the abundance amount of hay this ranch puts up each year.

Water/Mineral Rights & Natural Resources

The ranch includes multiple different water rights with multiple points of diversions.

History

One of the most unique features of the Sweeney Ranch is that it encompasses the outlet of the Duffy Irrigation Tunnel! In the early 1900s, a gentlemen by the name of Charles Duffy noticed that his land and neighboring ranches below Duffy Mountain had limited production due to the lack of water. To solve this, he and an engineer created a plan that took 6 years to dig a 2,000 foot tunnel through the base of Duffy Mountain and divert a portion of the Yampa River. It would exit the mountain roughly 18 feet above the river and gravity feed the several ranches that ranged from an estimated 1,800-4,000 acres in need of water so they could irrigate.The tunnel allowed ranchers to irrigate unusable drylands and turn them into productive hayfields. Due to being reinforced a couple times since it was built, the tunnel is still flowing water. Although the river has changed over the years, the tunnel is still used to irrigate a portion of the ranch in addition to multiple alternate points of diversion via pump stations. If the land could talk, it would speak of water wars that were settled with rifles in the early days.

Location

The ranch is located 20 minutes southeast of Maybell, CO and 30 minutes southwest of Craig, CO which provides the closest grocery stores, hardware stores, local businesses, and restaurants. By continuing south on County Road 17, Meeker, CO is roughly 45 minutes away. Vernal, UT is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes to the west of the property and offers many different amenities. For closest air travel, Yampa Valley Regional Airport is located in Hayden, CO which is just under 1 hour to the east of the ranch.