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Agriculture Benefits

Thornton is committed to supporting agriculture by implementing several programs and initiatives.

Thornton Agricultural Stewardship Office

This satellite office located in Ault is tasked with the planning and management associated with Thornton’s ownership of 18,751 acres of agricultural property in Larimer and Weld Counties.  Local residents partner with Thornton to farm and manage these properties, which continue to be significant contributors to agricultural production and the local economies.  To learn more about how these lands are managed and how they continue to benefit the people and economy of Larimer and Weld counties click on the button below.

ThorntonCO.gov

Northern Properties Stewardship Plan

Thornton is also partnering with local communities to plan for the future of these properties. The Northern Properties Stewardship Plan is underway, and it will develop a vision for the management and future land use of the properties Thornton owns in Weld and Larimer Counties.  This plan is being informed by the long-term plans of communities and Weld and Larimer Counties, the economic and social interests of regional and local stakeholders, and youth and young-farmer engagement.

To learn more go to ThorntonCO.gov

Irrigation Canal Structures. Thornton is working closely with the Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) to ensure that the agricultural uses within WSSC are protected. Thornton is partnering with WSSC to make infrastructure improvements to the irrigation system that will ensure that WSSC agricultural shareholders will continue to receive their water deliveries.

Groundwater Recharge Facilities.  Thornton is designing and building recharge facilities that will help maintain the groundwater table for agricultural well users near Thornton’s farms in Weld County.

Water for Agriculture. Since 2003, Thornton has leased over 80,000 acre-feet of water to the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District (Groundwater Management Sub-district and Well Augmentation Sub-district) for operation of an augmentation plan for irrigation wells in Weld County. The water that Thornton has leased to Central, and continues to lease to Central each year, allows farmers higher pumping quotas for their operations than without the leases.