Colorado Open Lands
South Platte CCA Projects
2006 Projects
Clark Ranch II, Morgan County, 410 acres (1,090 total acres preserved)
Partners: David Clark and Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: The Clark Ranch is a working agricultural ranch near the town of Orchard in western Morgan County. The ranch lies a few miles north of the South Platte River and a few miles southwest of Jackson Lake.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Clark Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private properties around the lake (including the Clark Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
DPG Farms, Morgan County, 413 acres
Partners: DPG Farms LLC and Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: Located near the town of Orchard in western Morgan County, DPG Farms is both a working agricultural ranch as well as a pristine hunting area for waterfowl. The ranch lies directly adjacent to the Clark Ranch, a few miles north of the South Platte River and a few miles southwest of Jackson Lake.
Preservation of DPG Farms will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from Jackson Lake.
Twamore Farms, Morgan County, 310 acres
Partners: Twamore Farms Trust and City of Fort Morgan, funded by Great Outdoors Colorado and NAWCA
Conservation Values: Twamore Farms is Colorado Open Lands’ first conservation easement near the City of Fort Morgan in central Morgan County. The City asked Colorado Open Lands to assist them with acquiring the land and adding it to an existing park that lies adjacent to the property on its south side. The City will continue to lease DPG Farms for agricultural purposes, but plans to add a recreational walking/jogging trail complete with informational kiosks in the future.
The northern half of the property consists of dry cropland, and the southern half abuts the South Platte River for several miles and contains critical riparian areas. The property is clearly visible from Highway 52, a heavily-used road that runs north out of the City.
The property contains approximately 36 acres of wetlands and 62 acres of riparian forest that serve as critical habitat for a variety of wildlife species including mule and white-tailed deer, bobwhite quail, ring-neck pheasant, and wild turkey.
2005 Projects
Barker Ranch, Morgan County, 87 acres (147 total acres preserved)
Partners: Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: The Barker Ranch, a working agricultural ranch, lies directly adjacent to the south side of Jackson Lake in western Morgan County. The western 60 acres of the ranch is already protected by a conservation easement held by the Centennial Land Trust, and together these 147 acres serve as a critical buffer area of open space between the lake and encroaching residential development from the nearby towns of Orchard, Goodrich and Weldona.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Barker Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private property around the lake (including the Barker Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
Cary Ranch II, Morgan County, 290 acres (610 total acres preserved)
Partners: Landowners
Conservation Values: The Cary Ranch is a working agricultural ranch that lies directly adjacent to the northwest side of Jackson Lake in western Morgan County. Colorado Open Lands protected the eastern 320 acres of the ranch in 2004 with a conservation easement. Together, these 610 acres serve as a critical buffer area of open space between the lake and encroaching residential development from the nearby towns of Orchard, Goodrich and Weldona.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Cary Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private property around the lake (including the Cary Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
Clark Ranch I, Morgan County, 680 acres
Partners: Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: The Clark Ranch is a working agricultural ranch near the town of Orchard in western Morgan County. The ranch lies a few miles north of the South Platte River and a few miles southwest of Jackson Lake.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Clark Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private property around the lake (including the Clark Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
Thompson Ranch I, Morgan County, 180 acres
Partners: Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: The Thompson Ranch is a working agricultural ranch located a few miles south of Jackson Lake in western Morgan County.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Thompson Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private property around the lake (including the Thompson Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
2004 Projects
Cary Ranch I, Morgan County, 320 acres
Partners: Landowners
Conservation Values: The Cary Ranch is a working agricultural ranch that lies directly adjacent to the northwest side of Jackson Lake in western Morgan County. Colorado Open Lands protected the eastern 320 acres of the ranch with a conservation easement. The property serves as a critical buffer area of open space between the lake and encroaching residential development from the nearby towns of Orchard, Goodrich and Weldona.
Jackson Lake is a designated State Park and a popular destination for residents of Morgan County as well as the Front Range for various recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and camping. Preservation of the Cary Ranch will continue to provide an opportunity for the general public to appreciate the scenic and open space values of agricultural properties as they travel to and from the lake.
Jackson Lake is also a designated State Wildlife Area, and the private property around the lake (including the Cary Ranch) contain critical wildlife habitat for various species of waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors, including pelicans and bald eagles.
Lundock Ranch, Morgan County, 141 acres
Partners: Centennial Land Trust
Conservation Values: The property contains ponds, wetlands, riparian areas, and shortgrass prairie that provide food, shelter, and migration corridors for several wildlife species. The property adds to the scenic character of the local rural landscape in which it lies, and the current agricultural use of the property is compatible with other land use in the vicinity. Most of the property is visible to the general public from County Roads 5 and AA, which are actively used by the residents of the towns of Orchard, Goodrich, and Weldona.
Preservation of the Lundock Ranch provides an opportunity for the general public to enjoy its open space and wildlife values and prevent the degradation of the scenic and natural character of the surrounding Jackson Lake area. The Lundock Ranch is the first property protected by Colorado Open Lands in the South Platte River Corridor, our newest Community Conservation Area.
