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.

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.

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

Utah Recreation

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

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

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 – Posters

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 Agenda

Cutler ISR Meeting Presentation

Cutler ISR Meeting Summary

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

Additional Information Request (June 2022)

PacifiCorp Response to FERC Additional Info Request on Cutler Final License Application

PacifiCorp Response to FERC Additional Info Request on Cutler Final License Application – Attachment A – Exhibit E Supplemental Text

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

2017 Cutler Hydroelectric Project Map

2022 Cutler Adjoining Owners Map

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.