ECOLOGY
The 20,000-acre Ucross Ranch lies along Clear Creek on the western edge of the Powder River Basin; the main office of Ucross is located at the confluence of Clear, Piney, and Coal Creeks. The ranch property consists mainly of rolling grasslands interspersed with "clinker" hills and knobby buttes. The ranch's elevations range from 4,000 to 4,600 feet. The property includes riparian habitat and wetlands, several areas of native grasslands, and upland habitat for two bird species of special interest, the long-billed curlew, and the sage grouse. Many raptors including bald eagles nest on the property. The abundant bird life of the ranch also includes the sandhill crane, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, great blue heron, western meadowlark, American goldfinch, kingfisher, and many others. Other wildlife includes pronghorn antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, beaver, badger, bobcat, coyote, mink, and fox.
The uplands of Ucross are composed of grassland cover and shrubland steppe (sometimes called shortgrass prairie) with short bunch grasses and sparsely distributed shrubs such as silver sagebrush. Wyoming big sage and the bluebunch wheatgrass plant community grow on the ridge tops. On the upper slopes there are small patches of chokecherry in draws and swales, and skunkbush on very dry slopes. Herbaceous ground cover includes prairie June grass, blue grama, and side-oats grama grasses, needle and thread, and western wheatgrass. In the spring, numerous wildflowers can be found throughout the ranch, including prairie star, sunflower, sego lily and sand lily, western yarrow, and blue flax.
The property remains a working cattle ranch, leased by the Apache Foundation, and is managed holistically with a focus on responsible stewardship of the land. In 1999, a conservation easement was place on more than half the ranch, held by the Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In 2015, the ranch was designated an Important Bird Area by the Bighorn Audubon Society.
The 20,000-acre Ucross Ranch lies along Clear Creek on the western edge of the Powder River Basin; the main office of Ucross is located at the confluence of Clear, Piney, and Coal Creeks. The ranch property consists mainly of rolling grasslands interspersed with "clinker" hills and knobby buttes. The ranch's elevations range from 4,000 to 4,600 feet. The property includes riparian habitat and wetlands, several areas of native grasslands, and upland habitat for two bird species of special interest, the long-billed curlew, and the sage grouse. Many raptors including bald eagles nest on the property. The abundant bird life of the ranch also includes the sandhill crane, mountain bluebird, wild turkey, great blue heron, western meadowlark, American goldfinch, kingfisher, and many others. Other wildlife includes pronghorn antelope, mule deer, whitetail deer, beaver, badger, bobcat, coyote, mink, and fox.
The uplands of Ucross are composed of grassland cover and shrubland steppe (sometimes called shortgrass prairie) with short bunch grasses and sparsely distributed shrubs such as silver sagebrush. Wyoming big sage and the bluebunch wheatgrass plant community grow on the ridge tops. On the upper slopes there are small patches of chokecherry in draws and swales, and skunkbush on very dry slopes. Herbaceous ground cover includes prairie June grass, blue grama, and side-oats grama grasses, needle and thread, and western wheatgrass. In the spring, numerous wildflowers can be found throughout the ranch, including prairie star, sunflower, sego lily and sand lily, western yarrow, and blue flax.
The property remains a working cattle ranch, leased by the Apache Foundation, and is managed holistically with a focus on responsible stewardship of the land. In 1999, a conservation easement was place on more than half the ranch, held by the Wyoming Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. In 2015, the ranch was designated an Important Bird Area by the Bighorn Audubon Society.