National and State Register

Grand River Ditch / Specimen Ditch

Grand County

Often considered to be the largest early engineering project designed to divert water from the western slope of the Rocky Mountains to the South Platte River, the 14.3 mile long Grand Ditch was first used to divert water across La Poudre Pass by the Larimer County Ditch Company in 1890.

A photo of a small building over the ditch. There are some evergreen forests in the background and mountains in the distance.

Grand River Ditch / Specimen Ditch

Over the years, the ditch was extended south along the Never Summer Range.  In 1936, the Water Supply and Storage Company extended the ditch to Bear Creek, thus completing its construction.  Listed under Rocky Mountain National Park and the Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks Resources Multiple Property Submissions.

This site continues into Larimer County