Rio Bravo Ranch

Rio Bravo Ranch has a history longer than even the most established Kern Country families may remember. In 1861, the Solomon Jewett family founded 160 acres of land on the Kern River‹or Rio Bravo, as the Mexican settlers called it‹and their sheep ranch was one of the very first in the region.
Other families began settling in the adjacent areas within the canyon, and the land began to become consolidated as the separate ranches were bought and sold. Eventually, the 30,000 acre ranch was divided in two, and George W. Nickel bought the lower 16,000 acres.
Today, the Nickel family farms citrus, almonds, olives, and cattle feed on the land¹s dry pastures. Much of the riparian land along the Kern River and Cottonwood creek, however, are untouched, and much will remain that way.