Fleur Creek Farm is a remarkable 45-acre property in the Wet Mountain Valley, just north of Westcliffe in Custer County. The land is owned by longtime community members and conservation advocates who have been deeply involved in local land protection efforts since the mid-1990s.
Two creeks flowing from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains create irrigated pasture and an expansive wetland complex. In fact, two-thirds of the property is wetlands, including the Brush Creek Fen. Fens are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as “peat-forming wetlands that rely on groundwater input and require thousands of years to develop and cannot easily be restored once destroyed.”
The fen hosts some of Colorado’s rarest plant species, and the broader property supports a wide range of wildlife, including burrowing owl, golden eagle, multiple bat species, and regular use by black bear, elk, and mule deer. The land also supports cattle and sheep grazing, hay production, and a small apiary tied to the landowners’ longstanding cottage industry.
This project is especially meaningful because the landowners’ primary motivation was ensuring that the Brush Creek Fen and the biodiversity it supports remain protected forever.
Keep it Colorado was a project partner.