La Copita Demonstration Ranch and Research Area
Located 40 miles west of Corpus Christi, the 2,700-acre La Copita Demonstration Ranch and Research Area is a transition zone between the northeastern portion of the central Rio Grande Plain and the Gulf Prairie and Marshes. The property is ideal for studying the multifaceted challenges of grazing land and natural resource management in South Texas.
La Copita is administered from the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Texas A&M University, College Station.
Research
La Copita serves as a ranch-scale laboratory for rangeland and wildlife research to evaluate the ecologic and economic soundness of rangeland production systems.
La Copita supports a diversity of research opportunities including ecosystem health, wildlife management, native plant restoration, and invasive species control.
Teaching
Located at the confluence of South Texas ecosystems, La Copita provides hands-on, experiential learning opportunities across diverse facets of natural resources management.
Faculty who would like to host a class at La Copita should coordinate with Bethany Boggan, Ranch Operations Manager
Land Management
La Copita functions as a demonstration ground for established and novel rangeland technologies that contribute to the understanding of the form and function of range ecosystems.
Faculty and staff worked closely with Texas A&M AgriLife Research to develop hunting and grazing lease agreements for the property.
About the property
La Copita Demonstration Ranch is a 2726 acre tract of rangeland located in western Jim Wells County. An additional 512 acre tract, Los Indios Ranch, is located 7 miles west of Alice. Los Indios is typical Rio Grande Plain rangeland supporting South Texas mixed brush and huisache plant communities. It is subdivided into four 125 acre pastures with a windmill and working pens in the center.
La Copita Demonstration Ranch is located in a transition zone between the northeastern portion of the central Rio Grande Plain and the Gulf Prairie and Marshes. The climate is subtropical with hot summers and mild winters. Extended cold periods are rare. The growing season is approximately 300 days in length.
The property receives an annual average precipitation of 28.2 inches which primarily falls in April through September. Three out of five years receive less than average rainfall so precipitation is erratic and droughts are often severe.
Contact
For more information about the research, teaching, or land management operations at La Copita Demonstration Ranch and Research area, or to arrange a class or visit, please contact:
Bethany Friesenhahn Boggan
Ranch Operations Manager
Email: [email protected]