Blackburn Ranch - Republic Ranches

Blackburn Ranch - Burleson County, Somerville, TX

Just west of Lake Somerville is the historic Blackburn Ranch which has been in the same family for 188 years and was purchased from the Yegua Indians. The ranch has been mostly untouched over the years and left primarily in mature woods. It neighbors the 18,000+ acres of the Somerville Recreational Area on a very remote part of the park, creating an incredible area for game. The property is extremely private and quiet while being easily accessible from both Houston and Austin. With almost no hunting pressure over the past 30 years, this is a true gem and an excellent opportunity to own a beautiful large ranch in an area that has very few large parcels left intact anymore.

Key Attributes

Location

The ranch is located 11 miles west of Somerville, Texas. It is accessed off of County Road 132. The ranch is 99 miles from downtown Houston and only 72 miles from Austin.

Topography, Rangeland & Habitat

Blackburn Ranch is primarily a heavily wooded tract of land with some open grasslands with large trees left in most of the grasslands. The mixture of tree species is incredible, dominated by various majestic oaks, pecans, elms and hackberries. The ranch is old growth forest that has remained untouched, creating a fantastic habitat for wildlife.

The pastures on the ranch are a mix of improved and native grasses, with soils primarily sandy loams throughout the property.

Multiple creek drainages run through the property and the land is rolling with lots of elevation changes, hilltops, and views found around the ranch. Elevation changes on the ranch are over 70’.

Wildlife

The Blackburn Ranch is a wildlife haven that has had almost no hunting pressure over the past 30 years. The thick mature woods, with plenty of creek drainages and ponds, ensure plenty of access to water throughout the ranch. White-tailed deer are abundant on the ranch and with thousands of acres of the Somerville Recreational Area next door, the hunting will be fantastic on this ranch.

Besides deer, there are plenty of hogs, doves and various predators. Further development of larger lakes would be possible with the drainages and would make fantastic duck hunting with Lake Somerville so close to the property.

Several of the larger ponds on the property are stocked with bass and bluegill and has great fishing.

Agriculture

The ranch is currently under 1D1 ag and running cattle. There is one cattle pen complex on the ranch.

Improvements

There is a good gravel road system that goes through the property making it easy to get around the property. The perimeter fence is in excellent condition.

Water

There are six ponds on the property which hold water year-round. Multiple creeks run through the property and normally hold a good amount of water as well. The layout of the land would allow for future development of larger lakes should a landowner choose to do so.

There are two water wells in use on the property and groundwater here is strong. The Yegua Formation is relatively shallow (300’ – 400’ deep) on the ranch and consistently produces wells with over 50 gpm in the area. Should one wish to put in a large irrigation well, the Carrizo Formation is around 3,800’ deep. The Brazos River Authority is the water district for the ranch.

Electricity

Electric service is located on the ranch near the entrance.

Minerals

This is a surface estate sale and there are three existing older oil wells on the property. Most of the production has been falling for years.