192.52 Acres in Hot Springs, MT - $690,000

TWO MASSIVE ARTESIAN WELLS & RIVER FRONTAGE! The 3,000+ feet of Little Bitterroot River frontage provides stunning wildlife habitat & establishes a natural western boundary. The east boundary boasts undeveloped federal trust land, a playground for the horse enthusiast! The end-of-the-road, gated entrance maximizes your serenity. Two ponds, underground sprinklers, maturing fruit & landscape trees accentuate the 3,000+ sq ft home of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms & walkout basement, built in 1997. Bring the multi generational family & experience undeniable security with 192+ productive acres, currently maximized as a cattle ranching operation. The newly installed, 2011 Zimmatic Pivot, 6 irrigation wheel lines & 4 large squirts are serviced by a 500 gpm Artesian well & pump system. Harvest enough annual feed to sustain your livestock along w/irrigated and non irrigated summer grazing meadows. The enormous, 34'x68', insulated, wood stove heated shop, being built into the side of the hill, offers natural thermodynamic aspects & may amplify your productive creativity. The home's Artesian well produces 300 gpm. Both wells are slightly warm, assisting with a more efficient home boiler heat system & winter livestock watering capabilities. Famed hot spring soaking tubs are just minutes away. Wildlife include elk, mule deer, whitetail deer & a myriad of birds. The gravel pit is a nice luxury for your own road maintenance. Prime hunting is only minutes away. A must see! For more details, please call/text David Passieri at 406-370-6500 or your Real Estate Professional.

Historic Use and Recent Updates

The current owners run 70 AUM. They utilize the property primarily for grazing, after taking the first cutting. The first cutting, on approximately 135-140 acres out of the 192 acres produces approximately 3 tons per acre, totaling 400+ tons.

However, the 80 acres serviced by the Pivot (newly installed in 2011) have been tilled and reseeded this year (2018) into barley. A two year plan then to reseed back into alfalfa. Newly seeded alfalfa with fertilizer may produce 5 71/2 tons per acre within 2 cuttings.

The property has two legal parcels. The Pivot is located on the 80.12 acre parcel which is considered Lake County. Approximately 25 acres of the northeast and east portion of the Lake County parcel has less productive hillside. Much of the less productive hillside is utilized for grazing and is also the location of the non commercial gravel pit. The pivot area serves as a progressive (high intensity, rotational) grazing field throughout the growing season, post first-cutting. The Lake County parcel along with approximately 20 acres of the Sanders County parcel are under the pivot with a new barley crop.

The second legal parcel is located in Sanders County and comprises the outbuildings, home, irrigation pump, two artesian wells, two ponds, corals and multiple pastures. A total of 112.40 acres. The northeast quadrant of the Sanders County parcel is covered by the pivot leaving about 60 acres of productive hay ground primarily used for rotational grazing after the first cutting is taken. Five wheel lines and some hand line irrigation covers the multiple Sanders County pastures. This parcel is defined by the Little Bitterroot River along the entire west boundary. This parcel is primarily planted in grass with some Trefoil and Silk Clover. This parcel has considerably more water and some subirrigation from the river, which is not nearly as productive for alfalfa, yet very productive for grass.

The first cutting is generally taken around late May to very early June.

Irrigation commences around May 15th to meet the longer growing season for the area. Two Artesian wells serve the property. The first being rated at 500 gallons per minute with approximately 39 pounds of pressure. An irrigation pump amplifies the pressure. The pivot and 1 wheel line can run simultaneous. Or the 5 wheel lines, 4 mobile squirts/guns and the underground home sprinkler system can run simultaneously. The irrigation groundwater is not metered. A Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is on record reflecting 2.23 cubic feet per second, for up to 126 acres, through April 1 to October 31. No cost for irrigation water. The electricity costs up to $500 per month during the active irrigation season.

The home, outbuildings, frost free hydrants, corral and livestock waterers are served by the domestic use Artesian well which is rated 300 gallons per minute and approximately 23 pounds of pressure.

Both artesian wells are considered warm water, at approximately 75 degrees. There is a pressure tank and filtration system serving the home.

The two ponds are engineered with year round flow coming from the artesian well(s) overflow. The water is piped to the first pond, then piped to the second pond. The second pond has a screened overflow which flows into an irrigation ditch, weaving through the corals and ultimately into the Little Bitterroot River. The ponds serve wildlife purposes only. They are not utilized for irrigation or livestock watering purposes.

The shop is enormous, 34' x 68', insulated, wood stove heated and built into the side of the hill, offering natural thermodynamic values.

Notes: The property could handle 100 AUM's with full time grazing, no cuttings, with supplemental winter feed. Historically, the land produces 5 7.5 tons of production per irrigated acre, if fully farmed, within 2 cuttings, three cuttings is certainly possible. However, new seeding of the pivot (alfalfa) field and the lower subirrigated grass field is recommended for maximum future farm production.

The greatest intrinsic value to this property is the abundant water and immense privacy. Above info deemed reliable but not a guarantee of future performance. Information is provided by the current owners.