SAN ANGELO, Texas — On Tuesday, Feb. 2, the San Angelo City Council authorized the City of San Angelo to negotiate a sale of the nearly 20,000 acres remaining of the Ford Ranch to Lendon Hamlin for a price no less than $1,385 per acre.
The Ford Ranch is a property in Melvin, totaling 32,841 acres when first acquired by the City in 2017. The ranch was originally purchased for approximately $44 million, or $1,350 an acre, by the City as a means to protect San Angelo’s rights to the Hickory Aquifer – located on the property – and the $120 million investment made developing the aquifer as a source of drinking water.
“Purchasing the Ford Ranch allowed us to protect water rights to the Hickory Aquifer which, accompanied with all of our other water sources, helps secure our community’s water supply for generations to come,” San Angelo Mayor Brenda Gunter said in a press release from the City.
All transactions in the sale of the Ford Ranch property protected the City’s water rights to the Hickory and the development investment.
San Angelo relies upon O.C. Fisher, O.H. Ivie and Twin Buttes reservoirs, Lake Nasworthy and the Hickory Aquifer as water sources.
“Since the City of San Angelo purchased Ford Ranch, our goal has always been to secure our water rights and sell the ranchland back to private owners,” Water Utilities Director Allison Strube said in the release. “Thanks to City management, City Council and our brokerage team at King Land & Water, we were able to accomplish that.”
There have been five other sales from March 2020 to September 2020:
- 853 acres for $1,500 an acre to Riverbend, Texas LLC and High Point Ranch Expansion LLC
- 324 acres for $1,385 per acre to a neighboring property owner
- 587 acres for a price $1,950 per acre to Adam and Kimberly Ellisor
- 2,830 acres for $1,400 per acre to Neil Tinsley
- 8,236 acres for $1,400 per acre to Korban Ranches LLC
