Logan resident urges opposition to proposed canal project

Children wade in the shallow canal in Merlin Olsen Park in Logan during the summer of 2020. Image shared on Pinterest by "Lisa Loves Logan."

LOGAN – Dave Tate of Logan has launched a one-man, last-ditch crusade against a plan to pressurize the canals running through local parks.

The Little Logan River is “the only source of water we have in the parks it runs through,” according to Tate, making that stream ideal for “cooling off, drinking for dogs where allowed and having fun in the hot summer months.”

In a recent post on Facebook, Tate urged friends and neighbors living in Logan to send comments to state and local officials that current proposals to transform the Little Logan River canals into a completely pressurized irrigation system are “unacceptable.”

The need for public opposition to the plan to pipe and pressurize the local canal system is urgent, Tate said, because the deadline for submission of those comments is Tuesday, Mar. 16 at 5 p.m.

The proposed Crockett Avenue Pressurized Irrigation Project is part of a comprehensive Logan River Watershed Plan now under consideration by state and local officials.

That plan was jointly developed by the Cache Water District, the cities of Logan, Hyde Park and North Logan, and the Crockett Avenue Irrigation and Distribution, Inc.

The purpose of the watershed plan is to address flood control and flood protection, evaluate measures to reduce water loss and increase efficiency in the current irrigation delivery system, and consider additional recreational facilities, according to Paul Lindhardt, the public works director for Logan City.

Information about the watershed project can be accessed online from the city’s Facebook page or at http://bit.ly/LoganRiverWatershed

One of the original enterprises formed to capture and distribute water in Cache Valley, the Crockett Avenue water company now combines 10 firms owning water rights to the Logan River. Its service area includes land within the cities of Logan, Hyde Park and North Logan, plus unincorporated area of Cache County.

The Logan River Watershed Plan includes a recommendation that pressurizing the current Crockett Avenue open-ditch water system would yield significant benefits in the areas of water conservation, safety, reliability and increased property values, among others.

But Tate wants no part of that plan.

“This is the canal that runs through Merlin Olsen Park, Pioneer Parkway Park, Jen Johansen Park and Willow Park,” he argues. “It is a priceless place for kids — and, in some parks, dogs – to cool off and play during the summer.”

Tate isn’t entirely alone in voicing concern about the proposed pressurized irrigation system.

“The Logan River is increasingly used by recreationists and is a tremendous asset for the community,” said Wayne Wurstbaugh of the Bridgerland Audubon Society, in response to the Crockett water proposal. “De-watering it during droughts and seasonal low flows would greatly diminish its value. Consequently, we urge planners to leave as much water in the river as possible.”

Tate’s comment to state officials was more succinct: “I urge you to please not pressurize the Little Logan River … at all.

“I plead with you to please consider the implication to our community of losing this priceless resource for memories,” Tate’s comment read.

He also called on state officials to consider the pressurized water system’s “impact on families across the county, especially those closest to parks … as (the Little Logan River) is near and dear to our hearts and our communities.”

Tate urges local residents who share his concerns to submit their comments about the pressurized irrigation project proposal via e-mail to [email protected] or via the U.S. Postal Service to Logan River Watershed Plan, Attn: The Langdon Group, 466 North, 900 East, Kaysville, UT 84037.

The deadline for submission of comments via e-mail is 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The Langdon Group will accept any comments via USPS that are postmarked by Mar. 16.


CORRECTION: A previous version of this story had shared an incorrect email address for those wishing to comment on the Logan River Watershed Plan. It has since been corrected.

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2 Comments

  • Valerie March 15, 2021 at 6:03 pm Reply

    Hi, The email listed is incorrect. It should read [email protected] (you spelled out utah)

  • Jared Jorgensen March 15, 2021 at 6:14 pm Reply

    The email provided to submit comments is not working.

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