Santo Bay Ranch is a diverse combination of scattered motts of coastal live oak, intact wetlands, coastal prairie, and a range of fishery habitats. Proper range management such as prescribed burning, disking, spike treatment, brush management, contouring, and water control structures have furthered these natural features to provide for a huge diversity of wildlife resources. These features, combined with extensive waterfront and private shoreline access, create a blank canvas for a private, coastal waterfront ranch and home.

Habitat and Wildlife

Santo Bay Ranch lies within the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion and is part of the Ingleside barrier-strand plain geologic system, a unique Pleistocene coastal system limited to a narrow band stretching from Calhoun County to Kleberg County, much of which has been impacted with development. This system is characterized by a diverse complex of soils, and habitat associations, including live oak mottes, coastal prairie, sand barrens, freshwater marshes, and freshwater pothole ponds. Tidal bayous, saltwater lakes, and channels further enhance the ranches biological diversity. This broad soil diversity supports a unique assemblage of native grasses, forbs, brush, and trees.

The wildlife resources on the ranch are "refuge quality" not only in game but also in non-game species. Hunting, birding, photography, and just enjoying the array of wildlife is easy to do within this diverse assemblage of habitats. Fresh and Coastal waters are home to a wide array of wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and waterbirds such as ducks, geese, cranes, stilts, plovers, egrets, bitterns, and herons. Sandy soils, prairies and oak mott woodlands provide world class bobwhite quail, native whitetail deer, and turkey hunting.

The large motts and woodlands of Live Oak trees provide exceptional fall-out habitat for neotropical songbirds during spring and fall migration. At times the diversity of warblers, oriels, vireos, tanagers, and hummingbirds foraging and resting in the trees are unbelievable.

Fishing on the ranch and in adjacent waters is world class. Redfish, trout, flounder, and drum are all part of the fishery that makes Port O'Connor a fishing destination.

Conservation and Management

The ranch was placed under 3 Conservation Easements in 2016 as part of a comprehensive plan to implement a wildlife and landscape Conservation Strategy while simultaneously preserving and providing for the future recreation development. The easement allows for the ability to improve with a home, guesthouses, and associated outbuildings within 3 separate 5 acre building envelopes, along with recreational infrastructure which includes the ability to construct a pier and dock access point to the Intracoastal Canal. A 28 acre portion Is not subject to the Conservation Easements and was planned for use as a higher density development tract or a dredged marina concept.

In hand with the conservation strategies on the ranch, significant improvement has been made in habitat management, infrastructure, and wildlife management. Miles of water lines and new wells were placed around the ranch to provide year-round water to constructed ponds and wetlands. Prescribed burning has been an ideal tool for coastal prairie management and regular use of it has had significant impact on the health of the native range. Ranching livestock has been the traditional use of this ranch over past generations and is still a part of the management and use of the ranch today.

Improvements

The ranch has multiple wells, and a well-designed water distribution system put in place to provide permanent water for ponds and wetlands. It is fenced along 2 sides with the waterfront boundary left open to the intra-coastal canal. A series of raised and constructed roads, mowed lanes, and adjoining access roads there is great access to much of the ranch even in wet conditions.

Santo Bay Is part of a larger 2,232 acre ranch of which additional acreage could be purchased.