Conservation on Working Lands
At Desert Creek Ranch we run cattle, cut hay, and restore habitat, all on the same ground. We see stewardship and production as two sides of the same coin, so every project starts with a simple question: How can we work with Mother Nature, not against her?
Rebuilding Our Watersheds
A healthy ranch starts with clean, dependable water. Across our 145,000 acres we maintain a network of creeks, seeps, and man‑made ponds that feed wildlife and livestock alike. With help from state, federal, and non‑profit partners we:
Re‑shape eroded banks and reconnect streams to their floodplains
Add off‑stream drinkers so cattle stay out of sensitive channels
Track flows and water quality to measure progress over time
Sage‑Grouse Habitat & Sagebrush Steppe Restoration
Centuries of fire suppression have allowed western juniper, an aggressive, water‑thirsty tree, to crowd out native grasses and shade out aspen. Backed by an OSU “juniper bill” research grant we’re clearing hundreds of acres now.
Pre‑treatment monitoring: 2 climate stations, 2 stream‑flow flumes, 4 shallow wells, 2 developed springs, and 20 vegetation plots record a full year of baseline data.
Research partnership: OSU professors and graduate students analyze how juniper removal affects watershed hydrology and plant diversity.
Aspen comeback: Opening the canopy lets sun‑loving aspen shoots sprout and stabilizes streambanks for decades to come.
We manage one of the largest private sagebrush landscapes in Crook County—a stronghold for the greater sage‑grouse and dozens of other grassland species. Working with the Crook County Soil & Water Conservation District we:
Rotate grazing to leave nesting cover each spring
Seed native grasses and forbs after disturbance
Place water and mineral stations away from leks and brood‑rearing areas
Wildlife that benefit include pronghorn antelope, Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, meadowlarks, mountain bluebirds, and California & mountain quail.