This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rainfall in Cache County was blamed for causing oil contamination in a canal in the North Logan and Hyde Park area Saturday evening.
Jill Parker of the Bear River Health Department said oil from a road construction project on 1800 North in North Logan washed into the canal after a rainstorm.
Parker said emergency crews were working Saturday night to contain the spill, which as of Saturday night was contained only to the Lower Hyde Park irrigation canal.
By late Saturday night, the contaminated water had been diverted to a field near Highway 91, allowing the water to slow, according to the health department. The water had traveled about 5 miles from origin as of late Saturday night.
Health officials said an environmental clean up company had been contacted and was en route to the site.
The contamination could affect farmers and ranchers in the are who use the canal for irrigation. Anyone who sees brown water or notices an unusual odor in their irrigation system should not use the water, Parker said.
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