HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE LITTLE LOGAN RIVER IS A Protected RIVER, AND NOT A CANAL AS SPONSORS OF Logan River Watershed Project USUALLY CLAIM ?
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-Rivers are protected by Utah law yet the public's rights to a healthy, year-round Little Logan River are being violated by the owner of the river, Logan City and by Canal companies.
-Implementing the Logan River Watershed Project would worsen this situation significantly, unless it is modified to honor the public's rights in Utah law 73-3-29.
SECTIONS:
Experts ARE SHOCKED that there is a debate about the Little Logan River's status-it is river. Quick summary of evidence for the river status of the Little Logan River. Evidence was culled down to the main points. GO THERE NOW.
Explanation why the river is protected, and the public’s rights to recreation, environment and aquatic species must be protected. This right has been violated for decades. Go there now
Detailed expanded evidence and analysis showing that the Little Logan River in indisputably a natural river. There are > 30 types of evidence and arguments. GO THERE NOW. You may wish to consult legal and historic documents for supporting facts (more information too).
RETURN HERE. Please SHARE widely using the Qr code and Tinyurl.com/LLRISARIVERBLG.
CURRENT ACTION ITEM:
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SHORTER SUMMARY
(More detailed analysis (link) and WHY IT MATTERS):
Geology proves that the Little Logan River is a natural river that was born about 12,000 years ago as Lake Bonneville dried up:
The river’s meandering (wavy and loopy) geometry is the result of natural geologic processes called lateral migration. Meanders form naturally as streams and rivers mature, undercut their river banks and deposit point bars on the opposite side of a river. Canals are man-made, by definition and lack these diagnostic structures. Canals are as straight as possible, usually bend slightly, and lack loops like meanders because they are expensive and labor-intensive.
The Little Logan River is a natural river because it flows directly downslope, not across the Island’s landscape, like man-made canals do.
Canals are man-made-by definition-and they carry water laterally ACROSS the landscape from natural rivers or lakes to fields. Rivers carry water directly DOWN a landscape, along the steepest fall line. Meanders add slight modifications to a perfectly downhill path. The Little Logan River is neither man-made nor does it transport water laterally away from a river. It is-and has always been-a natural river.
Hundreds of legal documents, historical and modern, refer to the Little Logan River as a “RIVER”.
About 400 deeds for land AND many more deeds for water rights show that hundreds of properties are located LEGALLY on the banks of the North Branch of the Logan River. Legal documents use this original name of the river whereas online and younger maps tend to use the newer name, Little Logan River. Find some examples here.
River water flows naturally into the Little Logan River all year long -without there being any active diversion using “diversion boards” in the Crockett diversion structure.
River water flows into the Little Logan River when every “diversion board” has been removed from the Crockett Diversion structure.
In fact, the river water must be forced out of the natural river channel by a gate almost 700 ft downstream of the diversion structure for the devastating yearly dewatering of the Little Logan River.
A pair of gates were built to actively force river water out of the river channel and into a steep concrete-lined tailrace that connects the Little Logan River to the South Branch of the Logan River.
Diversion boards in the Crockett Diversion structure only INCREASE the flows in the Little Logan River, but none are necessary for water to flow naturally into the River.
Sponsors of the Logan River Watershed Project prefer a minority view of canal companies and Logan City. This view is being reviewed at the Utah Division of Water Rights. Sponsors appear to interpret most of the Little Logan River as a canal-between Willow Park and a head gate near Crockett Avenue. This position is not supported by evidence because a canal is defined to be a man-made waterway.
Central to the "canal" argument is the speculation that the Little Logan River would not have river water flowing into it without active diversion at the highly modified original natural branch between the two rivers that dates back thousands of years. As shown above, the Little Logan River flows year round without active diversion, refuting this interpretation. In low-flow winter conditions observed by geoscientists, hydrologists, and hundreds of citizens every winter, about 3-5 cfs of discharge enters into the Little Logan River without active diversion (2024 and 2025 observations). Video evidence is available on request.
A legal ruling would help the public to assert our rights to recreation, the environment, and fish in the Little Logan River.
Let's not allow "speculation" about potential outcomes of removing a > 55-year-old diversion structure become the basis for denying the public our rights to the river's natural state and guarantees of recreation and fish.
Historic maps show the Little Logan River was important and mapped several years before Logan was settled by pioneers. The first river map dates from 1856 whereas Logan was settled in 1859).
The North Branch of the Logan River was included on the 1856 map of central Cache Valley as the main and only part of the Logan River. Most of the South Branch of the Logan River was omitted from this oldest map except for a reach west of the Blacksmith Fork’s confluence that was mislabeled as “Clear Creek”. It is logical to infer that the South Branch of the Logan River was unimportant to the pioneers in Cache Valley in the mid 1800’s, whereas the North Branch was vital, high flow, and dominant. Little Logan River cannot be a man-made canal because it existed years before its “theoretical canal builders” settled in Logan in 1859.
The federal government knows the Little Logan River is a perennial river along its entire length.
At least two agency databases show it to be a perennial river. Zoom into the Island on the National Map Viewer of the U.S Geologic Survey to see rivers in blue. Canals are not visible in this default map.
The Utah Division of Wildlife classifies the Little Logan River as a coldwater fishery and perennial stream.
This classification is identical to that of the South Branch of the Logan River. Please consult online databases.
Many other federal, state and county agencies and legal entities classify the Little Logan River as a natural and perennial river.
For example, Cache County labels the Little Logan River as a natural river in its excellent online GIS databases. We continue to identify other agencies that legally identify the Little Logan River as a RIVER.
Nine permit applications submitted to the State Engineer and Division of Water Resources show that Logan City and the State of Utah both know that the Little Logan River is a river.
Utah law required permits to modify rivers. Logan City and the State of Utah have processed at least 9 permits to modify the Little Logan River, as required by law along natural rivers. SEE permits online here: example 1, another, a third, fourth, fifth, 6th, 7th,. 8th, 9th in this map (after bringing up permits).
- Other legal documents detailing land exchanges between Logan City and canal companies further substantiate the river status of the Little Logan River and undermine the arguments of sponsors.
The entire bed of all rivers, including every speck of land beneath the Little Logan River, belongs to Logan City- within its original city limits.
The wavy strip of land under the Little Logan River was transferred to Logan City at statehood by the federal government (documents available on request). Cities are much less likely to own the strip of land under a canal. An informed examination of the online Parcel Viewer of Cache Valley documents this. As a courtesy, Janecke includes one annotated maps below and others in the detailed section of this report.
Writings of citizens
Writers, historians, and officials consistently refer to the Little Logan River as a river since the founding of Logan, Utah. There are so many documents it is not necessary to make a compilation. See below and here.
Rivers are modified by humans on a worldwide basis and modified rivers are not transformed and reclassified as canals afterwards.
If this logic were used, few rivers would be classified as rivers any more.
If this logic were used, the main Logan River south of Logan’s Island would also be a canal because it was straightened and incised far more than the Little Logan River.
Neither branch of the Logan River has become a canal.
Logan has a beaded string of historic city parks that straddle the Little Logan River. It is extremely unlikely that they were developed over centuries on the banks of a man-made canal.
- There are almost a dozen parks and public spaces along the Little Logan River. See the green polygons on the map below. Each one is a park along the river.
- In summary, every entity with legal standing except Logan City, and water interests like canal companies and the Cache Water District classify the Little Logan River is a natural river. The Utah Division of Water Resources is reviewing the topic.
Find more detail and additional arguments below:
Does it matter that the river is a river? YES!!!!!
Rivers are protected by Utah code 73-3-29 Their recreational aspects, environment, and ecology, aquatic species are protected as long as water rights are not impacted too much. A balance is required. Federal law also protects rivers.
Why is the Little Logan River in danger? IT has been treated like a canal even though 32 datasets and arguments, and overwhelming evidence shows that it is a natural river.
It is not being protected from canal companies by the Logan City Council or the Cache Water District. Seemingly, the sponsors of the Logan River Watershed Project did not question their assumption that the river is a canal.
CURRENT ACTION ITEM:
PLS CONTACT DECISION MAKERS
The Little Logan River is green for emphasis. All other natural rivers are blue whereas man-made canals are red. 
DETAILED Discussion of the RIVER STATUS of the Little Logan River
OR: CAN EXPERTS PROVE that the Little Logan River is natural RIVER?
How? Using almost two dozen kinds of evidence that range from geologic, legal, historic, recreation. Evidence is in legal documents, state, county and federal classifications)
Dr. Susanne Janecke, Nov 11 2025, updated from tinyurl.com/savellr & tinyurl.com/restorellr
YES!!!!
The North Branch of the Logan River has two legal names: NBLR and Little Logan River. IT IS CALLED A RIVER on the vast majority of maps, including many legal documents as well as legal maps.
These two names appear in hundreds of property deeds, certificates of water rights, plat maps, historic maps, Federal topographic maps, and digital maps available from Cache County, the Division of Water Rights, Canal maps, Google maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps, Utah State University special collections, USU digital commons, and the Library of Congress. The original historic name is North Branch of the Logan River.
The map below is one example. The river and map features were surveyed and mapped decades before its publication in 1890 by the U.S. Geological Survey. It is important to know that maps published by the US Geological Survey are legal documents in courts of law.
The other branch of the Logan River also has two legal names.
ABOVE: 1890 Map showing the Little Logan River labeled as "THE LOGAN RIVER". Gilbert 1890. This map is a legal document. NOTICE the natural meanders in both branches of the Logan River.Modern maps often call this river the “Little Logan River”.
It was not little, however, until water masters changed its water flows and diverted most of its water to canals during the irrigation season. Currently, at the end of the irrigation season water in the Little Logan River is shut off by head gates and its water is diverted into the South Branch. With its waters abruptly cut off, most of the Little Logan River dries up, fish die, habitat degrades and riverfront homeowners and visitors to the 8 parks and several other public spaces (like Logan High School’s grounds), no longer enjoy its beauty or ecological benefits.
During the irrigation season the high-flow parts of the Little Logan River usually have a peak discharge of > ~85 cubic feet per second. This high flow only occurs at its headwaters in a short eastern section of the river east of the “Y” diversion for the Crockett-Northfield canal (from its branch at River Hollow and Sumac Parks to about 750 East 150 North. There is much less water flowing elsewhere (Figure below) due to the diversions of water into canals at legally prescribed diversion points. To find each diversion point, locate where a red canal is adjacent to a natural channel of the little Logan River (blue lines) on the map below. These diversion points have been fixed since the 1922 Kimball decree, and shifting them upstream degrades the river.
Originally, the NBLR had so much water that a dozen mills and other businesses were powered by its water. This reliance spanned decades. Its hydro-power generated the first municipal electricity in Utah. The map below illustrates that the economy and businesses in Logan Utah were reliant on the Little Logan River. Please study the 1900 Sanborn map below. The original robust flows of the North Branch supplied ample water and power upon which Logan was founded. There were SAW MILLS, FLOUR MILLS, plants for ELECTRIC GENERATION, AND MORE. NO BUSINESS WOULD HAVE BUILT UP ALONG A MAN-MADE CANAL SINCE YEAR-ROUND ENERGY IS REQUIRED!!!!!!!!
PERMITS LEGALLY DESIGNATE THE THE LLR AS A RIVER. In 1999, 2009 and 2012 Logan City filed legal documents naming the NBLR as a river with the State Engineer. Such permits are required when there are construction projects involving rivers. We located 9 permits so far. SEE these examples, another, a third, fourth, fifth, 6th, 7th,. 8th, 9th in this map (after bringing up permits).
The NBLR is clearly identified as a river on most historic and modern maps. Its flows were so high that there were floods in downtown Logan at times.
We can PROVE that the North Branch of the Logan River (the Little Logan River) is a natural river using its geology. Rivers flow directly downhill and they usually meander where gradients are low and valleys are wide. The Little Logan River preserves dozens of these natural meanders. They were born and modified continually since the birth of the River about 10,000 -15,000 years ago. Some rivers also have braided geometries and the Island in Logan is a braided river system. The Island lies between two branches of the Logan River. The natural braided and meandering geometry was originally even more expansive and there were almost a dozen smaller river channels that laced the Island area. These mostly connect the South Branch of the Logan River with the North Branch of the Logan River and angle northwest to southeast between the two main rivers. Several of these secondary river channels were recently destroyed by the Willow Lake subdivision in west Logan, and one particularly wide and deep channel was in the process of cutting of meanders of the main Logan River. Homes will be built across that channel.
Canals are manmade, much straighter, and they cross landscapes because their job is to carry water away from rivers to fields. Arcing geometries of canals are just one of the ways to identify them. Canals are usually lower on one side than the other. This can be recognized in several ways. Imagine a deep ditch dug across a river and water will spill out on both sides. A similar ditch dug across a canal will cause a one-sided gusher, like the one that happened when the Logan Hollow canal failed and killed the Leavey-Alannis family along Canyon Road.
The meanders preserved along the entire length of the Little Logan River prove that it is a natural geologic landform. Geology is a key piece of evidence. Natural RIVERS MEANDER AND ZIGZAG; MAN-MADE CANALS are far more linear.
The Little Logan River was so significant that the first map of central Cache Valley showed the North Branch of the Logan River but omitted most of the South Branch! This was the 1856 map, which predates Logan’s settlement. Clearly no man-made canal would have been dug in the location of the North Branch of the Logan River before anyone had even settled nearby! Nor would anyone have dug such a canal with all of its labor-intensive meanders.
County properties were recorded on historic maps that showed only the North Branch until ~1899. See online datasets. Please review the numerous historic maps here.
Reams of historic documents refer to the Little Logan River as a river. USU digital archive preserves much of this written record and history. Virginia Parker, watermaster, wrote a book about the Island area. Her book is one of many examples.
The National Map of US Geological Survey (Federal) classifies the Little Logan River as a river along its entire 5.3 mile length. Its status is identical to that of the South Branch of the Logan River.
The Federal hydrologic database also classifies the Little Logan River as a river. Its status is identical to that of the South Branch of the Logan river along the entire 5.3 mile length.
The Utah Division of Water Quality classifies the Little Logan River as a river. Its status is identical to that of the South Branch of the Logan river along the entire 5.3 mile length.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources classifies the Little Logan river as a coldwater fishery. This status is identical to that of the South Branch of the Logan River, and it is classified as a river along the entire 5.3 mile length.
Cache County classified the Little Logan River as a river, and perhaps ALSO refers to part of the river as a canal.CHECK this.
It is likely that every property deed along the Little Logan River calls the River the “North Branch of the Logan River” because every example we have seen does so.
The block-wide maps of plats along the Little Logan River also label the river as the "North Branch of the Logan River” in an updating historic sequence. These maps are in online databases where scans of historic plat maps show that the Little Logan River has been called the North Branch of the Logan River since at least Logan’s Founding. This name has been in use from 1859 to today.
Similarly, we expect that every water deed calls the River the “North Branch of the Logan River”. Every example that has been shared with us does so.
Online databases show a similar continuous time sequence of maps that label the River as the “North Branch of the Logan River”.
The online database for property in Cache County shows that the Little Logan River is owned by Logan City within its original city limits.
The Federal Government owned the river bed before it was transferred to the city of Logan during statehood in 1894. The Federal government transferred ownership of the meandering strip of land beneath the Little Logan River to Logan City at statehood. Documents are available in the Cache County offices.
The Federal government transferred ownership of the meandering strip of land beneath the South Branch of the Logan River to Logan City at statehood in precisely the same way, at the same time. Documents are available in the Cache County offices.
The highly modified, straightened, and disturbed condition of the South Branch of the Logan River has increased its water flow speed, causing erosion which has deepened the river bed below Crockett Diversion structure. These changes changed the balance of flows in the North and South Branches and diverted more water to the south branch. That change in discharge is unfortunate but it cannot convert a natural river into a canal. Crockett Diversion structure was in its current form before 1971, and it survived major flooding in 1971.
The Little Logan River flows naturally year round-except that head gates near Crockett Avenue are allowed to force all water out of the channel after the irrigation season. Sponsors sometimes argue that water flow into the Little Logan River is entirely the result of man-made diversions, and that argument justifies treating the Little Logan River as a canal. However, the Little Logan River flows naturally from the Logan River-well after the irrigation season. Natural flow of river water occurs after every “diversion board” has been removed from the Crocket diversion structure (video available on request) in October. Janecke and Evans estimate the discharge to be ~ 5-10 CFS in the winter months in 2024. It was ~3 cfs in Mid November 2025. River water would continue to flow downstream along the natural river bed of the Little Logan River but every October artificial head gates close near Crockett Avenue.
A thriving trout population in the Little Logan River proves it is a river. Major ecological damage has occurred because yearly dewatering is permitted. The North Branch of the Logan River had such a thriving trout population that it was among the best trout streams in Utah before the 1970s (Kennedy and Unhanand, 1974). The trout population studies by Paul Holden referenced the tremendous 2,614 trout per mile for the winter Brown Trout population in a section of the Little Logan River middle and upper reaches, in just 2-4 CFS. Canals may have fish that find their way into them during the irrigation season but fish are not naturally present in such large numbers. In ~1973, ~2600 fish rotted in a channel when the water was “turned off.” IT is possible that this event occurred when there were adjustments at the Central milling flour mill. We call this event the BIG ROT. REPEAT: Manmade canals can have a few fish in them but rarely if ever in populations of this scale.
The beaded alignment of historic city parks along the Little Logan River serve as additional evidence of its river status. There are ~12 parks and public spaces, plus many private gallery forests along the North Branch of the Logan River and most date back at least 75-100 years. Fewer parks straddle the South Branch of the Logan River (6). It is extremely uncommon for a city park to be developed on the banks of man-made canals. Old and historic city parks like Logan’s Central Park (renamed as Merlin Olsen Central Park), the grounds of Logan High School, the Fairgrounds, and Willow Park date back to Logan’s early history! Visitation in every park that straddles the Little Logan River is strongly focused on the river itself-at least during the summer months when the river is permitted to flow in its natural river channel.
Other recent building permits and documents filed with governmental organizations refer to the Little Logan River as the North Branch of the Logan River, not as a man-made canal. The Mill Condo complex was built across part of the Little Logan River. Documents for that development refer to the North Branch of the Logan River.
The mere act of constructing a few man-made structures in a natural river-- to control flooding, to prevent erosion, or do other important tasks-- CANNOT not convert a natural RIVER INTO A MAN-MADE CANAL. Sponsors seem to argue that the central part of the Little Logan River has been converted into a man-made canal because flooding in the 1980 (or perhaps a prior flood?) changed the balance of flows between the two branches of the Logan River. The disputed section is between springs in Willow Park and gates that divert flow near Crockett Avenue. Rivers have been modified by humans ALL OVER THE WORLD. Modifying the course of a river or “shifting” a part of a natural river never transforms the river into a man-made canal. Nor does the insertion of concrete liners, the repositioning of the channel, or the addition of gates for flood control. If this logic were used, very few rivers in the world would still be rivers. If this logic were used, the main Logan River south of Logan’s Island would be a man-made canal because it was straightened and incised far more extensively than the Little Logan River. Compare the two rivers on the maps included here.
NEITHER BRANCH OF THE LOGAN RIVER HAS BECOME A MAN-MADE CANAL. The South Branch lost dozens of its original Islands, and every one of its original meanders along the southeast edge of Logan’s Island during urbanization. Little Logan River preserves most of its meanders and most of its original channel remains in their original position. .
Like all rivers in Utah, Utah law requires that the Little Logan River be managed to balance water rights with the rights of the public to recreation, environment, and aquatic species (fish). See an Explanation of river law. The law is spelled out at 3 min. A win-win solution is possible but sponsors have been neglecting the public’s rights.
The Little Logan River is a natural river, not a canal. That gives it extra protection, yet sponsors and perhaps the State Engineer appear to be treating the Little Logan River as a canal that can be modified at will.
Diversion points must not be changed. Flows drop catastrophically if diversion occurs upstream of legal diversion points.
Winter flows must be restored.
Minimum flows must be guaranteed even during drought
AND be sufficient for the public to use the river for tubing
AND be sufficient to avoid algal infestations,
AND to allow fish to return.
- Public Ownership: All water in Utah is declared property of the public, subject to existing rights.
- Beneficial Use: The right to use water is based on its beneficial use, which is the measure and limit of the right.
- Water Rights Conveyance: For ownership changes to be valid, a report must be submitted to the state engineer by an attorney, professional engineer, title company, or land surveyor.
- Recreational Access: The "Public Waters Access Act" within Title 73 grants a public right to float on public waters, but this right does not extend to trespass on private property.
- Stream Channel Alterations: It is illegal to alter a natural stream channel without the written approval of the state engineer.
- Utah Legislature: The full text of Title 73 is available on the Utah Legislature's website.
- Utah State Engineer's Office: This office is responsible for managing water rights in Utah and can provide specific information and forms.
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