The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, May 4, 2026- A large ranch north of Paonia Reservoir has been permanently conserved, which will protect its senior water rights, as well as agricultural uses and wildlife habitat.

Buck Creek Ranch, a nearly 500-acre working ranch located along Colorado Highway 133 between Paonia Reservoir and McClure Pass, has entered into a conservation easement that will ensure the property remains dedicated to livestock grazing and hay production, Colorado West Land Trust announced.

Approximately 182 acres of the ranch are irrigated, relying on senior water rights from East Muddy Creek, Buck Creek, and associated tributaries, according to the Land Trust. These water rights support agriculture, as well as create temporary wetlands benefitting wildlife.

“The protection of Buck Creek Ranch builds on the priorities we’ve identified in our Water Protection Plan,” Colorado West Land Trust Conservation Director Ilana Moir said in a statement. “By integrating land and water conservation, we’re helping address declining water supplies, supporting local agriculture, and protecting the habitats that sustain both wildlife and our communities.”

The ranch’s ponds, wetlands and riparian corridors support a range of species. It also provides migration corridors and seasonal habitat for elk, mule deer, moose, black bear and mountain lion, as well as connecting private lands with the adjacent national forest.

Buck Creek Ranch has been part of Gunnison County’s agricultural industry for more than a century, according to the Land Trust. Currently it is a seasonal cow/calf and hay operation.

“Our family has spent more than 40 years exploring and loving the lands that now make up Buck Creek Ranch,” Tom Alvey said in a statement. “What was once three separate small ranches was pieced together into one contiguous property with great water rights and a vision for conservation by our friend Bill Roberts. After his passing, we felt a deep responsibility to carry that vision forward. With the help of Colorado West Land Trust, our family was able to purchase this outstanding ranch and guarantee that it will remain in agriculture and continue to provide the habitat and scenery that we love, in perpetuity.”

Buck Creek Ranch is bordered by public lands, including the Raggeds Wilderness Area to the east, as well as other conserved ranches. Protecting the ranch also protects scenic viewsheds along the West Elk Scenic Byway, which bisects the property.

By Grand Junction Daily Sentinel