Fifty years ago this month, Northern Water’s third general manager in its history was appointed to office. 

Earl Phipps was hired by Northern Water in spring 1951 to serve as the lone employee in the Loveland branch of the organization. At that time Northern Water’s headquarters was in the basement of the Greeley Tribune building. Phipps was an agronomy graduate from Colorado A&M University (now known as Colorado State University) and had served in World War II. In his service, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and Purple Heart. 

As elements of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project began to operate in the early 1950s, Phipps and colleague Dennis Walker often worked more than 12 hours a day, sometimes using their personal vehicles to accomplish their duties of delivering water. In November 1974, he was appointed to replace the retiring Bob Barkley as general manager. 

During his tenure in leadership, he helped guide Northern Water and the Municipal Subdistrict as the challenges and opportunities of economic diversification and urban expansion emerged on Northern Colorado’s Front Range.  

Phipps served until his death in 1982, and he was succeeded as general manager by Larry Simpson.