CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC NO. 2420 Pre-Application Document Volume I – Main Document March 2019 The security classification of each enclosed document is identified in the Enclosure Table. If identified as Privileged (CUI//PRIV), Protected, or Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CUI//CEII), DO NOT RELEASE. PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC NO. 2420 Prepared for: PACIFICORP HYDRO RESOURCES 1407 WEST NORTH TEMPLE, ROOM 210 SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84116 Prepared by: MARCH 2019 The security classification of each enclosed document is identified in the Enclosure Table. If identified as Privileged (CUI//PRIV), Protected, or Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CUI//CEII), DO NOT RELEASE. TABLE OF CONTENTS CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (FERC NO. 2420) PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC NO. 2420 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.2 PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................ 1-1 1.3 CLIENT’S AGENTS .......................................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT CONTENT ...................................................................... 1-2 2 PURPOSE OF THE PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT ........................................ 2-1 3 PROCESS PLAN, SCHEDULE AND PROTOCOLS ............................................... 3-1 3.1 PROCESS PLAN AND SCHEDULE ...................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 PROPOSED COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOLS .................................................................... 3-5 3.2.1 HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN FERC RELICENSING PROCESS ......................................... 3-6 3.3 TELEPHONE .................................................................................................................... 3-7 3.4 MEETINGS ...................................................................................................................... 3-7 3.5 SCOPING MEETING AND SITE VISIT ................................................................................ 3-7 3.6 MAILING LISTS ............................................................................................................... 3-8 3.7 FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ................................. 3-8 3.8 RESTRICTED DOCUMENTS .............................................................................................. 3-8 3.9 STUDY REQUESTS .......................................................................................................... 3-9 4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF RIVER BASIN ....................................................... 4-1 4.1 OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 MAJOR LAND USES ........................................................................................................ 4-5 4.3 MAJOR WATER USES ..................................................................................................... 4-6 4.4 PROJECT DRAINAGE BASIN’S TRIBUTARY STREAMS ...................................................... 4-7 4.5 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 4-9 5 PROJECT LOCATION, FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS .................................. 5-1 5.1 EXISTING PROJECT FACILITIES ....................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 PROJECT LOCATION ................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2 PROJECT OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 5-3 5.2.1 GRAVITY ARCH DAM .............................................................................................. 5-6 iii March 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (FERC NO. 2420) PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT 5.2.2 SPILLWAY GATES AND APRON ................................................................................ 5-7 5.2.3 IRRIGATION CANAL INTAKES .................................................................................. 5-7 5.2.4 FLOWLINE INTAKE .................................................................................................. 5-7 5.2.5 FLOWLINE, SURGE TANK AND PENSTOCK ............................................................... 5-7 5.2.6 POWERHOUSE ......................................................................................................... 5-8 5.2.7 CUTLER SUBSTATION .............................................................................................. 5-9 5.2.8 EMERGENCY GENERATOR ....................................................................................... 5-9 5.2.9 PROJECT RESERVOIR ............................................................................................... 5-9 5.2.10 PROJECT TRANSMISSION FACILITIES ..................................................................... 5-10 5.3 EXISTING PROJECT OPERATIONS .................................................................................. 5-11 5.3.1 IRRIGATION SEASON OPERATIONS ........................................................................ 5-13 5.3.2 WINTER SEASON OPERATIONS .............................................................................. 5-14 5.3.3 SPRING RUNOFF AND FLOOD OPERATIONS ........................................................... 5-14 5.4 GENERATION AND OUTFLOW RECORDS ....................................................................... 5-14 5.5 PROPOSED PROJECT OPERATIONS ................................................................................ 5-15 5.6 NEW FACILITIES OR COMPONENTS TO BE CONSTRUCTED ............................................. 5-20 5.6.1 TRANSMISSION ...................................................................................................... 5-21 5.7 CURRENT LICENSE REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 5-21 5.8 PROJECT COMPLIANCE HISTORY .................................................................................. 5-24 5.9 CURRENT NET INVESTMENT ......................................................................................... 5-24 5.10 AVERAGE ANNUAL ENERGY AND DEPENDABLE CAPACITY ......................................... 5-24 5.10.1 PERIOD OF CRITICAL STREAM FLOW SPECIFICATION ............................................ 5-25 6 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ................................................... 6-1 6.1 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ..................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1.1 EXISTING GEOLOGICAL FEATURES ......................................................................... 6-1 6.1.2 BEDROCK GEOLOGY ............................................................................................... 6-3 6.1.3 SOILS ...................................................................................................................... 6-7 6.2 RESERVOIR SHORELINE AND STREAMBANK CONDITIONS .............................................. 6-9 6.2.1 EROSION ................................................................................................................. 6-9 6.2.2 SHORELINE BUFFER .............................................................................................. 6-10 6.2.3 BANK STABILIZATION MONITORING ..................................................................... 6-10 6.2.4 EROSION CONTROL SEDIMENT BASIN MONITORING ............................................. 6-11 iv March 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS CUTLER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (FERC NO. 2420) PRE-APPLICATION DOCUMENT 6.3 WATER RESOURCES ..................................................................................................... 6-12 6.3.1 DRAINAGE AREA .................................................................................................. 6-12 6.3.2 STREAMFLOW, GAGE DATA AND FLOW STATISTICS ............................................. 6-13 6.3.3 MONTHLY MINIMUM, MEAN AND MAXIMUM FLOWS ........................................... 6-15 6.3.4 MONTHLY FLOW DURATION CURVES ................................................................... 6-15 6.3.5 EXISTING AND PROPOSED USES OF WATER .......................................................... 6-17 6.3.6 EXISTING INSTREAM FLOW USES .......................................................................... 6-18 6.3.7 EXISTING WATER RIGHTS ..................................................................................... 6-18 6.3.8 GRADIENT OF DOWNSTREAM REACHES ................................................................ 6-19 6.3.9 FEDERALLY-APPROVED WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ....................................... 6-19 6.3.10 WATER QUALITY MONITORING ............................................................................ 6-23 6.4 FISH AND AQUATIC RESOURCES ................................................................................... 6-29 6.4.1 AQUATIC RESOURCES AND HABITATS .................................................................. 6-29 6.4.2 FISH SPECIES