The 12,000-acre Boyd Ranch in Elko County, Nevada is a wildlife oasis within the rugged Great Basin region, providing a diverse assemblage of habitats from braided wetlands, marshes, and riparian corridors along Lamoille and Rabbit Creeks, to the Humboldt River floodplain, to the surrounding upland sagebrush steppe environments.

This historic working ranch (one of the first established on the Upper Humboldt River and in the Elko region generally) is situated along the Emigrant Trail. It was first homesteaded in the late 1870s and is still run as a productive cattle operation today. It provides important water resources in an otherwise arid region, including roughly 15.5 miles of the Humboldt River, Lamoille Creek, and Rabbit Creek.

This wetlands complex, with its matrix of native hay meadow, sandbar willow, and cattail/bulrush wetlands, is home to the largest spring/fall migration staging area for the greater sandhill crane (pictured right) in northeast Nevada. It provides a secure stopover for thousands of cranes on their way to and from nesting habitats in Elko County and wintering areas in the Lower Colorado River Valley. The wetlands also holds important nesting/foraging habitat for white-faced ibis, snowy egret, black tern, bobolink, and Swainson’s hawks, as well as other riparian-dependent bird populations.

The upland sagebrush environment on the ranch supports native shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses that play a crucial role in maintaining obligates species such as Greater sage grouse, Brewer’s sparrows, sage sparrows, vesper sparrows, sage thrashers, burrowing owls, loggerhead shrike, prairie falcons and golden eagles. In fact, habitat for more than 200 species of birds is found on the ranch. So critical is the Boyd Ranch to resident bird species and those migrating along the Pacific Flyway/Rocky Mountain Flyway corridor that it was designated a United States Important Bird Area (IBA) by the National Audubon Society in 2002.

The wetlands are also home to northern river otter, mink, American beaver, vagrant shrew, northern leopard frogs, and western toads.

In June 2011, thanks to the conservation commitment and vision of the Boyd Family, ALC completed a conservation easement on the 12,000-acre property, conserving this historic working ranch, helping to sustain the longstanding agricultural traditions of Elko County, and ensuring the protection of critical wildlife habitat in the Great Basin. Take a photo tour of the property below!

 Northern River Otter 

 Project Photos:

Articles:
Nature Notes An Important Bird Area on a watery ranch
 Conserving Land Along the Pacific Flyway