Irrigated Farmland with Home and Shop
Columbia Basin Irrigated Farmland with home and shop near Amazon Data Center and I-84/I-82 in Hermiston, Oregon
SIZE: 401 acres
ELEVATION: 640 Feet
ZONING: EFU (Exclusive Farm Use)
RESERVE PRICE: $1,995,000
This property is being offered in November 15, 2023 Sealed Bid Auction.
This 401 acres of farmland, with 301 acres of water rights, is located near Hermiston, in northeast Oregons Columbia Basin one of the Pacific Northwests most productive growing regions for alfalfa, grass hay, and wheat, as well as a variety of other crops such as potatoes, corn, grass seed, peas, snap peas and, with conversion to drip irrigation, melons and root crops.
The property has strategic location between I-84 and Umatilla River, with excellent access to both I-82 and Highway 207. There is frontage along the western boundary from Cottonwood Bend Road. Amazon has a 500,000 square foot data cente...
The property has strategic location between I-84 and Umatilla River, with excellent access to both I-82 and Highway 207. There is frontage along the western boundary from Cottonwood Bend Road. Amazon has a 500,000 square foot data center on a 120 acre site located just west of the auction property. Additional data centers are planned in the region due to low cost power and plentiful water.
The property has been primarily used to grow corn, alfalfa and hay by Betz Farms, Inc. Its use of the property will not be renewed in 2024 by the Seller.
The 301 acres of water rights have three center pivots and five partial pivots. Irrigation equipment is included in the sale, and is in fair condition.
The property is served by Westland Irrigation District, which holds water rights to Umatilla River. It contracts with US Bureau of Reclamation for stored water at McKay Dam, and provides water to over 14,700 acres of farmland. The district has future plans to include additional source of water from nearby Columbia River using pump station, pipeline, and connection to Westland distribution system.
Currently, the full allotment of McKay Reservoir water for the auction property is 692.3 acre feet of water. 2023 Westland Irrigation District water costs were $53 per feet of water. There is a pump in the southwest portion of the property, along the canal.
There is a gated entry from Cotton Bend Road. A 3,200 square foot shop, with three overhead doors, and three bedroom, two bathroom manufactured home located in the northwest section of the property.
In addition, there is supplemental irrigation of 232.8 acres of water rights from two wells located on the property. Please see Water Rights Certificates #7674 / Permit G-3492 and #80812 / Permit G-3895.
In addition to water rights for irrigation, the auction property was used until 2022 as an agronomic application component for wastewater generated from nearby Bud-Rich Potato and Shearers Foods potato chip plant along Highway 207, which ceased operation in 2021. A pumping station with flow meters on site allowed use of both sources of water. Seller is responsible for termination of this use as part of the WPCF Wastewater Permit #101438 and an environmental report will be available as part of the Supplemental Information Package. Copies of water rights certificates, Westland Irrigation District water rights information, and additional detail on the Wastewater Permit are available in the Supplemental Information Package.
Soils on the property are excellent. 90% is Quincy loamy fine sand, which is very deep, excessively drained, and can accommodate not only alfalfa but potatoes, small grains, grapes, and fruit trees.
Umatilla River is along the northern boundary. Butter Creek is on the eastern boundary, and Westland Irrigation Canal is on the southwest. Cottonwood Bend Road is on the western boundary and provides access to both I-82 and I-84. EFU zoning will allow a homestead on the property.
The 401 acre auction property is one of the largest tracts of irrigated farmland currently available for sale in the heart of the Columbia River Basin, and provides a rare opportunity to acquire a highly-productive property to add to existing farm operations, or to operate for quality alfalfa or other higher value crops all at a price of less than $6,500 per acre
