history of the Story ranch

Story Ranch Established 1931, Nixon Division Established 1999

Story Ranch, LTD. is owed and operated by Joanne and Jim Story and Amy and J.D. Story.

The Story Ranch, established in 1931, originated in Alice Texas in the 1930s and migrated to

 Losoya Texas on the Medina River in the 1970's, Devine Texas in the 1980's, and Charlotte

Texas in the 1990's.  The Nixon Division was purchased in December of 1999 from the

Blumberg/Weinert family foundation and serves as the Story Ranch Headquarters.

Story Ranch is a working farm & ranch which covers 2,684 acres and has 11 ponds and lakes.  The two most notable water features are the Weinert reservoir and Story Lake.  The Weinert reservoir covers approximately 45 surface acres and was constructed circa 1935.  It sits on top of a hill and was fed by two artesian Carrizo water wells.  The Story lake covers approximately 200 surface acres and was constructed in 2002.  It has a maximum depth of approximately 30 feet,  impounds more than 1,000 acre-feet of water and has a  watershed area of more than  5,000 acres.  The largest bass caught and measured with a scale is currently 12lbs; however, larger bass have been caught.  

Our initial major projects included building over 12.5 miles of high fence, a 6 bedroom rock house which serves as the ranch headquarters, utility infrastructure (roads, water and electric distribution, internet and surveillance network), a high volume Carrizo irrigation well (2,000 feet deep and 12” casing, capable of over 1,500 gpm), and the Story Lake.  We are actively pursuing an aggressive brush management program to enhance native grasses and wildlife habitat with the goal to increase the quail population and cow carrying capacity.

There are several artesian water wells which feed flowing creeks.  These wells flow from the Queens City Aquifer (depth approximately 800 feet), and the Carrizo Aquifer (depth approximately 1,600 feet).  Water from the Carrizo flows from the ground at a temperature of approximately 102 degrees F and is used for both irrigation, filling of lakes, and for recreational swimming.

Domestic livestock: Cows, horses, donkeys, mules

Major wild game: Native whitetail deer, elk, bass, catfish, dove, quail, waterfowl, feral hog

Wildlife observed on ranch:  Javelina, coyote, bobcat, fox, mountain lion, raccoon, armadillo, rabbit, 

nutria, buzzard, hawk, bald eagle

Fish:  Bass, crappie, catfish, bluegill, tilapia, red eared sunfish, golden shiners, shad, fat head minnows,

alligator gar, carp, turtles, crawfish, frogs

Birds & waterfowl:  Dove, quail, turkeys, ducks, pelicans, cranes, cormorants, owls, hawks,

bald eagles, buzzards, woodpeckers

Snakes:  Rattlesnakes, diamond back water snakes (non-poisonous), rat snake, king snake, coachwhip snake,

rat snake, puff adder, blue indigo,  water moccasin

 Poisonous things to watch out for:  Rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, scorpions, water moccasins.