The Animas River Farm is an irrigated, river-front property boasting 818.8 acre-feet of adjudicated water rights fronting 2.25 miles of the Animas River. Nestled in a private valley and just 21 miles south of Durango, Colorado and 11 miles north of Aztec, New Mexico off Hwy. 550, the farm is inaccessible to the public with a charming private bridge being the sole point of ingress and egress. Borders are formed on three sides by the winding Animas River and on the fourth side shear, tall bluffs that create a natural barrier. The bluffs are on BLM land and impassable therefore, there is no practical public access to the farm.

Four pivots cover most of the 294.5 irrigated acres with some smaller pastures under flood irrigation. The farm currently harvests alfalfa and has a long-standing contract delivering the majority of the feed to a large New Mexico dairy operator. New owners are not bound to the existing contract but have the choice to continue delivery.

Water Rights

The property will sell with 818.8 acre-feet of adjudicated water rights, allowing 294.533 irrigable acres. The substantial rights are the largest single ownership in the surrounding area. The rights date back to the the 1890s and became fully adjudicated in 1943. The water has been in beneficial agricultural use since the inception of the rights.

The Land

The farm consists of 587 deeded, contiguous acres. The center of the property holds the cleared pivot and flood irrigated pastures. The western, northern and southern borders of the property are the Animas River and feature a beautifully wooded riparian zone. The eastern border of the land is a section of tall, shear bluffs which create privacy and colorful beauty. On the north and south boundaries, the river runs up to and along the bluffs, cutting off access to the farm and creating complete privacy.. The bluffs are BLM land and top out on a tall mesa teaming with mule deer and elk.

Farm Improvements

A 40 x 100 wooden barn currently houses the large tractors and bailers. The barn is ready-designed for stalls, tack room and shop and could be quickly converted for horse and livestock use. Two 32 x 96 x 24 hay storage buildings keep the 1,500 lb bales dry and secure. A beautiful set of pipe fence pens behind the barn are setup to gather, hold and brand and ship up to 300 head of cattle. Three, 80-acre pivots and one 40-acre pivot cover the majority of the irrigated acres. Two pastures totaling just under 30 acres are under flood irrigation.

20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art greenhouses were installed in 2022. Digitally automated climate control,lighting and watering systems create an incredible revenue potential for a multitude of agricultural crops. The system was installed at a cost just over $1.3 million.