Township 14 North Range 13 West
Gila and Salt River Baseline and Meridian
Section 12: portion thereof
Section 13: All

Township 13 North Range 13 West
Gila and Salt River Baseline and Meridian
Section 3: portion thereof

Mohave County APN's: 102-21-007, 102-59-004 & 102-73-001
Bureau of Land Management Artillery Allotment

Part of one of Arizona's original four counties, Wikieup shares an interesting history with the whole of Mohave County. Prior to the coming of the white men in the valley, the place where the county is situated today used to be the settlement of the Mojave Indians. The Indians used to cultivate corn and other food crops aided by the rich, river-nourished soil of the valley. However, the Mojaves are not alone in the region. They have fierce rivals in the tribe of the Tonto Apaches. Mostly, the two tribes do not seek disputes with each other but all that changed with the coming of the white men.

The settlement of the white men pushed both tribes farther from their source of livelihood. This resulted in several disputes between the white wen, the Tontos, and the Mojaves. In one of these disputes, two white girls were abducted. The white men laid the blame on the Mojave tribe but they found out after two years that the girls were taken by the more savage Tonto Indians. The girls were rescued by the Mojaves and were actually treated as part of the chief's family.

As token of their gratitude, the white settlers named the county after the Mojaves. The white settlers and the Mojaves coexisted in the area, that is why it is common for a person from Mohave County to have a mixed heritage. It was said that Wikieup's present location was the part of the land allotted by the white settlers for the Mojaves. Thus, that section was named Wikieup -- a native American or Mojave Indian word for "shelter" or "home."

Please click on any of the maps for a larger view

General location in Arizona	Location map		Topo of the ranch (Large map: ~600KB)	Aerial map of the deeded land

• 300+ Days of Sunshine Yearly
• Natural diversity
• Spectacular Rock Formations
• Mountain Vistas
• Ammenities 9 miles away (Wikieup):
  • Gas Station
  • Medical Office
  • Grocery Store
  • Motel
  • Several Cafes
  • Grade School K-8
  • Retail Stores
  • Hospital
  • High School
  • Community College

Land Tenure
937 Acres Deeded
81,000 Acres Bureau of Land Management Allotment (approximate)
81,937 Acres Total or 128 Sections

 

Property Description
The ranch headquarters is situated along the Big Sandy River just off Signal Road near the northern boundary of the ranch. The building improvements consist of an old, rustic, ranch house approximately 1,200 square feet with 3 bedrooms and one bathroom (please see photo [3] above) and a metal sided tack shed. There are three holding pens constructed of wire and wooden post.

There is an irrigated and sub-irrigated pasture at the headquarters. Historically the ranch has irrigated up to 300-acres. More recently, 80-acres have been irrigated and currently there are approximately 3-acres in permanent Bermuda Grass pasture. The older fields have grown in with mesquite tress which could be cleared and put back into production.

Water
Irrigation water is supplied by a diversionary right from the Big Sandy River. The water is diverted using a temporary earthen dam into a dirt ditch, then transported to the fields. This is a surface diversionary water right on file with the Arizona Department of Water Resources as #36-19867. Supplemental irrigation water is supplied by a 100 foot deep well with production capability of 700 gallons per minute. The well is not currently in operation.

Domestic water is supplied by a private well with an electric submersible pump and pressure tank. Livestock water on the ranch is supplied by the Big Sandy River, 4 windmills, 4 solar wells and 4 earthen tanks.

Carrying Capacity
The capacity as recommended by the Bureau of Land Management is for 140 animal units on a yearlong basis. The annual operating plan may differ from year to year based on annual rainfall and available forage.

Topography
Elevation at the headquarters is 1,550 feet and varies throughout the ranch from 1,300 feet along the Big Sandy River near the southern boundary to 3,500 feet in the McCracken Mountains. Topography is mostly rolling hills with numerous drainage areas, with some steep mountain peaks in the southern portion of the ranch.

Vegetation
Vegetation is primarily tobosa, curly mesquite, galleta, alfileria, indian wheat, squirrel tail, and various grama grasses. Browses are mesquite, catclaw, jojoba, mountain mahogany, cliffrose, oakbrush, and winterfat.

Utilities
Public electricity is available at the ranch headquarters; telephone is by cell only.

Taxes
2005 Tax Year $307.44
2005 BLM Lease Grazing Fee $1.79 per animal unit month

Remarks
The ranch is located in an area rich with mining history and encompasses the historic ghost town of Signal, which once had a population near 20,000 people. This is a beautiful, Mohave Desert, working cattle ranch, with 15 miles of the Big Sandy River running through the allotment.