Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Written by Rod Boam

December 31, 2018

Logan River's Third Dam is being renovated the fist time since 1920. Some of the mechanical elements of the early dam will be left for awhile longer.

The first phase of the Logan River Third Dam construction is going on despite rain, snow, sleet and even sub-zero temperatures. Workers are digging with a track hoe, tying steel, pouring concrete and moving forward as planned to upgrade the old structure in Logan Canyon.

Construction will be halted between June 1 and August 31 at Logan River’s Third Dam during the most productive working conditions in the canyon due to the nesting habits of the bird.

Just about the time the weather warms up and workers can shed their thick winter clothes and dig into their work, they will have to leave the job site and find something else to do.

Construction will be halted between June 1 and August 31, during the best working conditions in the canyon, due to the nesting habits of the endangered Yellow-billed Cuckoo bird.

Although the migratory bird is common in the eastern part of the country, they are rare in the west. The largest part of their western habitat starts roughly at Logan Canyon and runs to just north of the Bear Lake. There are hundreds of miles of suitable habitat. During spring and summer, the birds spend their winters in South and Central America.

Mark Montgomery, director of Logan Light and Power, said he hasn’t talked to anyone who has seen any of the yellow birds in the canyon. He knows of some spotted near Strawberry Reservoir.

The birds are really shy and stay well hidden. They feed on large caterpillars.

When crews get back to work after the break, they will try to finish the first $6.2 million phase of the project.

The project will include removing the silt and sediment backed up behind the dam. They also plan to refurbish the turbines if they can.

Continued