Smithfield » With a wellspring of support from water share owners in northern Utah, the canal systems dating back to Cache Valley's pioneer settlers will be improved with help from the newly formed Cache Highline Water Association.
Logan & Northern Canal Co. shareholders voted 1,718 shares to 202 to partner up with the Logan Hyde Park and Smithfield Canal Co., with the goal of implementing a $25 million project to rehabilitate the aged irrigation system.
The proposed project will include partnerships with new entities -- Cache County, North Logan, Hyde Park, Smithfield and Logan -- and it will wed their interests in culinary, irrigation and storm water runoff.
Since July 11, when a mother and her two children were buried by a mudslide after an irrigation canal collapsed in Logan Canyon, people from a variety of cities and agencies have been working to mitigate the disaster, said Logan & Northern President Jon Meikle. The broken canal cut off water to Logan and Northern shareholders. Meikle and his board unanimously supported the partnership that will divert water north, away from downtown Logan, through the Logan Hyde Park and Smithfield canal to all water share owners in the new partnership.
During Monday's meeting of nearly 200 people at Sky View High School, water share owners debated the project.
Smithfield resident Don Hansen, who said he utilizes more than 250 water shares, was applauded when he expressed frustration about a lack of information from the Logan & Northern Canal Co. board of directors in recent months.
"I'd like to see more study. I'd like to see a model of this system as it is proposed before we vote," Hansen said.
"You elected a board. We accepted that responsibility and, believe me, it hasn't been fun," Meikle said. "Shareholders of Logan & Northern, you do not have a canal right now. If it weren't for the graces of other cities, you would not have had any water last summer."
Because the disaster near downtown Logan was deemed "an act of God," Meikle said Cache County is eligible for federal funding, which can only be secured through the partnership with Cache County and other partners in the Cache Highland Water Association.
Meikle said rebuilding the breached canal near downtown Logan is not an option, because no engineer in Utah is willing to sign off on any proposal near the mountainside breach area, where several dozen underground springs create a risk.
