Most of the water in the reservoir powered the pumps, but excess water was returned to the Poudre River through a canal. This water reached the canal below the reservoir level by means of a "drop structure." The original drop structure was constructed of heavy wooden planks from 1882 to 1905. In 1906, the supply ditch was leased to the Larimer Canal No. 2 Company, which replaced the wood structure with one made of concrete, still in use today.