Willow Creek, MT 59752 - Gallatin County

Located about 45 minutes west of Bozeman near the quiet town of Willow Creek, Willow Creek Farm is comprised of about 768 deeded blocked-up acres of which 392 acres are under center-pivot irrigation generating about three and a half tons off of one cutting. The 1920s farmhouse, barn, shop and corrals were completely renovated and refurbished in 2014 and 2015. Pride of ownership is evident throughout the Farm there does not appear to be any deferred maintenance projects that could burden a new owner. The majority of the perimeter fencing has been removed and replaced with new fencing. The Farm offers a unique opportunity in the burgeoning Gallatin Valley to own a solid low-overhead agricultural property with strong senior water rights.

Willow Creek, a relatively unknown stream discovered in recent years by a handful of knowledgeable fly-fishing enthusiasts, serpentines through this productive unit for about 1.75 miles. This private tail-water stream out of Harrison Reservoir provides one of the Gallatin Valleys premier private trout fisheries. In addition to the active dry-fly fishing, the streamer fishing in the spring and fall when hungry brown and rainbow trout are feeding insatiably will provide its next owner years of personal enjoyment. This tremendous small stream fishery also provides quality water fowl and upland game bird habitat. The consistent soil profile, plentiful water resource and longer growing season, affords numerous options for additional habitat enhancement projects.

Willow Creek Farm contains approximately 768 deeded acres classified as follows:

Deeded Acreage:

392 Pivot Irrigated Acres

198 Native Pasture

50 Wheel Line Irrigated Acres

38 Improved Pasture Acres in Sainfoin and crested wheat

80 Willow Creek and Riparian Acres

10 Under Improvements

The four pivots on the Farm are all Valley 8000 Series systems with C.A.M.S. Select panels. Historically, the Farm has been able to run all four systems at the same time throughout the growing season and well into the fall season. It requires about 350 inches of water to run all four pivots simultaneously.

Average yields on the irrigated acres has historically been 3.5 tons per acre on one annual cutting of hay. The balance of the summer these fields are used for grazing cattle. Livestock water is provided by fenced water gaps to Willow Creek. The pasture to the far east is serviced by a stock tank on a well with an electric pump.

Willow Creek Farm has four contracts for water with the Willow Creek Water Users Association allowing it to use stored water from Willow Creek Reservoir. Willow Creek Dam is located in Madison County, 3.5 miles east of Harrison, Montana. It is owned by DNRC, and operated by the Willow Creek Water Users Association. It impounds Willow Creek, Norwegian Creek, and Dry Hollow Creek and the reservoir has a storage capacity of 18,000 AF.