Cutler
The Cutler Project (P-2420) Dam is located in Box Elder County, Utah, approximately 13 miles northwest of the town of Logan, in Cache County, Utah, although the vast majority of the project lands are located in Cache County. The project lands take up much of the western portion of the Cache Valley.
Finished in 1924, Cutler is the lowest PacifiCorp hydroelectric facility on the Bear River and generates 30 MW of electricity.
Federal license renewal begins for Cutler project - December 11, 2018 Press Release
Learn more about the Cutler project
Project overview
The Cutler Project (P-2420) Dam is located in Box Elder County, Utah, approximately 13 miles northwest of the town of Logan, in Cache County, Utah, although the vast majority of the project lands are located in Cache County. The project lands take up much of the western portion of the Cache Valley.
Finished in 1924, Cutler is the lowest PacifiCorp hydroelectric facility on the Bear River.
The Cutler project receives summer water from the Bear Lake Irrigation Project that pumps water from Bear Lake into the river during the irrigation season. Two irrigation canals divert water from the east and west sides of Cutler Dam during the irrigation season, which reduces or eliminates power generation during the summer months.
The historic Cutler powerhouse is a three story steel framed brick building. It is located on the north bank of the river below the dam. The powerhouse contains two generating units with a total of 30 megawatts of renewable, emission-free energy.
There are approximately 9,200 acres of project-land habitat around the reservoir. This vast emergent marsh wetland and adjacent uplands area supports abundant water fowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife. In consideration of the importance of this habitat, water fluctuations of the reservoir are maintained within specific guidelines. Every five years PacifiCorp reports to federal, state and non-governmental partners the monitoring results of its license implementation activities related to the management of these habitat lands.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a 30-year license for the Cutler Project on April 29, 1994 (FERC License No. 2420). The license requires the provision of a Cutler Resource Management Plan and specifies recreational enhancements, shoreline buffers, bank stabilization, fencing, fish habitat structures, wildlife habitat and water quality enhancements, improvements to agricultural leases, mitigation for impacts on wetlands, and the preparation of a cultural resource plan.
Recreation
Map of Cutler Reservoir Recreation Facilities & Boater Use Zones
June 2017 Recreation Day-Use Rules
Spring 2015 - Canoeing Cutler Marsh, Photo courtesty of Shelley Dyer
Cutler Boater Zone Definitions
Under development: Cutler Recreation sites
PacifiCorp recreation facilities are for use to all members of the public without regard to race, color, religious creed, or national origin, or any other status protected under applicable local, state, or federal law.
Historical Information and Photographs
1925 Cutler Synchronizer Article
Cutler Historic Photo Series and Historic News Articles 1915-1945
Existing License and Resource Management Plan
Cutler Hydroelectric License - Project No. 2420
1995 Cutler Resource Management Plan
Five-Year Monitoring Reports
2002 Cutler 5-year Monitoring Report – 1995-2002
2008 Cutler 5-year Monitoring Report – 2003-2007
2013 Cutler 5-year Monitoring Report – 2008-2012
2018 Cutler 5-year Monitoring Report – 2013-2017 Corrected Appendix E April 2020
2018 2023 Cutler 5-year Monitoring Report – Appendix E 2018 Water Quality Analysis
2022 Request to Align Final Water Quality Report and RMP-PacifiCorp Letter to FERC
Relicensing (pre-application activity)
Helpful Links
Early Stakeholder Engagement
Shareholder Kickoff Workshop (February 13, 2019)
2018 Rocky Mountain Power Press Release – Cutler Federal License Renewal
2019 Cutler Project Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Agenda and Meeting Minutes
2019 Cutler Project Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Cutler Map
2019 Cutler Project Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Overview and Presentation
Notice of Intent and Pre-Application Document (March 2019)
Cutler Pre-Application Document_Volume I
Cutler Pre-Application Document_Volume II_Appendices
PacifiCorp Notice of Intent to File Application for New Cutler License and PAD Filing
PacifiCorp Notice of Intent to File Application for New Cutler License
Scoping (June 2019)
Cutler Relicensing Public Scoping Meeting Announcement
Cutler Relicensing Site Visit Announcement
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Agenda
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Notes
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Posters
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Presentation
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Kickoff Workshop – Study Topic Evaluation
Cutler Relicensing Stakeholder Workshop Announcement
Scoping Doc 2 Clarification – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Studies
Resources
March 2012 FERC Licensing Process Study Criteria
Study Plan Annotated Outlines (June 2019)
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Cultural Resources
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Fish and Aquatic Resources
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Hydraulic Modeling
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Land Use
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Recreation
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Sedimentation
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Shoreline Habitat
Cutler Study Plan Annotated Outline – Threatened and Endangered Species
Study Plan Stakeholder Meeting (October 8, 2019)
Study Plan Meeting – Meeting Agenda
Study Plan Meeting – Meeting Notes
Study Plan Meeting – Presentation
Technical Study Plans
2019 Cutler Proposed Technical Study Plans– Volume III
2019 Proposed Technical Study Plan– Volume III– PacifiCorp letter to FERC
2020 Cutler Final Revised Technical Study Plan– Volume III– Clean
2020 Cutler Final Revised Technical Study Plan– Volume III– Redline
2020 Revised Technical Study Plan– PacifiCorp letter to FERC
2019 Drawdown Requests and Information
August 2019 Request for Approval of 2019 Reservoir Drawdown – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
September 2019 Additional Information Response – 2019 Proposed Drawdown – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
September 2019 Proposed 2019 Drawdown – Corrected Information – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
October 2019 Proposed 2019 Drawdown – Additional Information
December 2019 Drawdown Additional Info – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Recreation Visitor Survey (May-November 2020)
PacifiCorp – Cutler Visitor Survey – Open May-November 2020
Initial Study Report
February 2021 Cutler Initial Study Report (ISR) – Volume I
Initial Study Report Stakeholder Meeting (February 23, 2021)
Cutler ISR Meeting Presentation
Initial Study Report PacifiCorp Response to Comments
May 2021 Cutler ISR – PacifiCorp Responses
FERC Progress Report
July 2020 PacifiCorp Update to FERC – First Cutler Study Season Progress Update
Updated Study Report (August 2021)
PacifiCorp Request to FERC to Expedite the Cutler USR Process
Updated Study Report Stakeholder Meeting and Protection, Mitigation, and Enhancement Measures Workshop (August 2021)
Cutler USR and DLA PM&E Measures Workshop – Meeting Agenda
Cutler USR and DLA PM&E Measures Workshop – Meeting Summary
September 2021 USR Meeting Summary Package – PacifiCorp Submittal to FERC
Updated Study Report PacifiCorp Response to Comments
November 2021 USR Comment-Response – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Draft License Application
August 2021 PacifiCorp Notice of Intent to File Cutler Draft License Application
October 2021 Filing of the Cutler Draft License Application – PacifiCorp transmittal letter to FERC
October 2021 Filing of the Cutler Draft License Application – Volume I – transmittal letter
November 2021Cutler Draft License Application – Volume I – Public
March 2022 Cutler Final License Application – Volume I – Public – Redline
March 2022 PacifiCorp Response to Comments on Cutler Draft License Application
March 2022 Response to Supplemental Reply – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Final License Application
March 2022 Cutler Final License Application – Volume I – Public
March 2022 Filing of Final License Application Notice
March 2022 Filing of the Cutler Final License Application – PacifiCorp Transmittal Letter to FERC
April 2022 FLA Newspaper Notification – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Relicensing (post-filing activity)
Additional Information Request (June 2022)
PacifiCorp Response to FERC Additional Info Request on Cutler Final License Application
Response to FERC AIR on Monarch Butterfly – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Water Quality Certification
August 2022 Water Quality Certification Application
October 2022 Cutler Section 401 Water Quality Certification
October 2022 PacifiCorp Response to Comments on Cutler Final License Application
Cutler Comment Responses Letter
Response to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Comments
November 2022 Supplemental Response to EPA – PacifiCorp letter to FERC
Potential License Amendment/Pumped Storage
Public safety sirens
Public Safety Notification
Safety is a top priority for PacifiCorp. To ensure public safety at Cutler, emergency evacuation sirens have been installed at Cutler Dam and near the Camp Fife Boy Scout Camp.
The sirens have been installed as a proactive measure to prevent delays in communication in the unlikely event that sudden flooding or rapid changes in water flows force evacuation of the campground or areas immediately below Cutler Dam. These sirens are not intended to communicate evacuation orders to residences outside the area.
The sirens will not be used to alert people for other types of emergencies. Although residents outside the Cutler Dam area may hear the sirens, they are not expected to take any evacuation actions and should instead listen for emergency information from local authorities.
Any necessary evacuations at other Cutler recreational areas will be conducted by PacifiCorp staff or local authorities as appropriate.
Project contact
Eve Davies
Principal Environmental Scientist
PacifiCorp
1407 West North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
(801) 220-2245
eve.davies@pacificorp.com