A Colorado couple bought a battered ranch 15 years ago; they restored its landscape

Eagle Rock Ranch of Park County has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award. Image Credit: Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust Eagle Rock Ranch in Colorado’s Park County has undergone a major transformation since Dave and Jeannie Gottenborg took ownership of the property. What they inherited was a badly damaged working ranch, with muddy corrals, cut creekside willows, worn-out fencing and hay fields managed in ways that harmed wildlife, soil and water. Over the years, the couple began repairing the land while continuing to run cattle, gradually changing how the ranch handled water, grazing, vegetation and wildlife. Their work has now earned Eagle Rock Ranch the 2026 Colorado Leopold Conservation Award, recognising its approach to conservation.How did the damaged Eagle Rock Ranch begin its transformationAccording to the Sand County Foundation, the Gottenborgs became owners of Eagle Rock Ranch about 15 years before the 2026 award. The property was described as a wounded landscape, with corrals that were knee-deep in mud and manure. Creekside willows had been removed to make room for more hay, while hay fields were repeatedly mowed close...