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Residents urge city to protect Little Logan River flows and preserve greenway buffers
Summary
Multiple residents at the Logan City Council meeting asked the council to advocate for leaving more water in the Little Logan River and to protect adjacent greenways and buffers, citing Utah Code 73-29-3 and concerns about recreation, habitat and neighborhood character.
Suzanne Jammieke, an emeritus faculty member and North Logan resident, told the Logan City Council on Sept. 16 that the community owns the water and the land under the Little Logan River and urged city officials to advocate for public recreational and environmental water uses. “We own the water in the river, we own the land under the river,” she said, citing Utah Code 73-29-3 as a basis for protecting public rights so long as vested water rights are not impaired.
Why it matters: Commenters said river health affects recreation, fish habitat and neighborhood greenways, and that current proposals would leave only 0–10 cubic feet per second in some reaches.
At the meeting, Todd Johnson, who said he has 40 years of experience working with towns on greenways and open space, described the river corridor as “the green stripes of our community” and warned that shrinking greenway dimensions would cut community benefits including shade, habitat and flood protection. Johnson said reducing greenway width would make lost values “nearly impossible to regain.”
Speakers pressed the council to balance private water rights and public recreation rights as spelled out in state law, and several asked the city to oppose treating the river primarily as an irrigation canal. Suzanne Jammieke described an informal public survey and on-the-water observations to illustrate what different flows look like, and said most respondents wanted more winter flows to restore fish populations. Johnson added that adjoining properties and neighborhoods share the economic and visual benefits of riparian corridors.
City staff did not adopt any new regulation or motion during public comment. Council members did not take a formal vote at the time; the discussion section of the meeting moved on to other agenda items.
The council may address river flow and greenway protections again when related ordinances or planning items come before its planning and water boards. Residents who raised concerns urged the city to advocate for public water rights under Utah Code 73-29-3 and to prioritize greenway protections in future land-use decisions.
