LOGAN — About 60 cars so far have been pulled from the banks of the Logan River, near Trapper Park, as part of an ongoing restoration project.
Along with the car bodies, city leaders said the previous landowner used various types of debris to shore up the riverbanks.
"Nearly anything you can think of that really doesn't belong here in the river channel has been removed," Logan Parks and Recreation Director Russ Akina said. "Along with other things like mattresses and old carpet, tires and wheels."
Logan bought the land more than a decade ago, with plans to expand the city's trail system.
In addition, some 50 acres of wetlands and river banks have been restored, using more natural materials like rocks. But the job hasn't been easy.
"A lot of the bends were reinforced with just concrete and rebar sticking out, and a lot of old cars," Martilyn Nielsen with Frandson Civil Engineers explained. "As you started digging, the contractor found more things than we were expecting."
The improvements are part of a $4.7 million project, sponsored by the Cache Water District.
Funding comes from a Federal Water Smart grant, a Utah Department of Agriculture grant and Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative.
About a million dollars comes from the canal company, private landowners and the city of Logan. If all goes as planned, Trapper Park will reopen on June 1.
"By removing these obstructions in the river, it makes it safer for public navigation of the river," Akina explained. "Along with improving the water quality from points upstream of town, and heading downstream from here."
