Water Supply and Storage Company.

The Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) was incorporated in 1891 to serve irrigators in the Cache la Poudre valley. In 1986, the city of Thornton purchased substantial stock in the company, which has subsequently provided water for both municipal and agricultural purposes.

The Water Supply and Storage Company was one of many cooperative organizations that contributed to northern Colorado's agricultural development by providing water for irrigation. Incorporated in 1891 to serve farmers in the Cache la Poudre valley, the company expanded in 1892 by acquiring properties from the defunct Larimer County Ditch Company and Larimer County Reservoir Company. Today, its network of ditches, laterals, reservoirs, and tunnels spans more than 100 miles and includes the Grand River Ditch, recognized as a historic landmark under the U.S. Historic Sites Act of 1935.

Early in its history, the company pioneered innovative water management strategies such as trans-mountain diversion of water from adjacent basins and the borrowing and lending of water rights through contracts with other supply companies. The organization's more recent history is representative of the transfer of water from agricultural to municipal uses. By 1986, the city of Thornton had acquired nearly half the company's stock; subsequently, the company's water supply served both urban and agricultural needs. The history of the Water Supply and Storage Company, spanning more than 100 years, significantly illustrates water-use developments and trends in Colorado and the semi-arid West.