Protection from terrorism affects far reaches of Montana

security monitoring and patrols have really become standard practice at our facilities.”

Because Sherburne, Tiber, Fresno, and Nelson reservoirs are just miles south of the Canadian border and few people live in the area, the security requirements are higher than dams in neighboring states. “We’ve had a lot of terrorist fishermen going beyond the (restricted) cable lines,” Liberty County Undersheriff Doug Riggin said sarcastically. “Personally, I think it’s a waste myself. It’s pretty ridiculous. I think Tiber Dam is going to be a pretty low priority for a terrorist.”

Skornogoski writes that the new restrictions have closed off some of the best areas to fish in Lake Elwell and people can’t drive across the dam anymore, which Riggin said is one of the best sightseeing spots on the lake. Liberty County is renegotiating its contract with the Bureau of Reclamation to check the dams on weekends and federal holidays. For the last six months ending in March, it was paid $29,500.

The money helped buy new cars over the years, but doing the checks added 50 miles a day wear on their tires. With some shifts covered by just one officer, driving to Tiber often stretched the thin staff, Riggin said. Phillips County Sheriff Tom Miller said adding the time it takes a deputy to drive to Nelson Reservoir, checking the dam takes up to two hours. Officers are required to send the Bureau of Reclamation reports, regardless of whether they find anything suspicious. Miller said in the eight years since 9-11, there have only been a few instances of something awry, such as a padlock left open on a valve. “At the beginning of this years ago, Nelson Reservoir was not a top priority on their list considering the other large bodies of water the Bureau of Reclamation oversees around the state of Montana,” Miller said. “But they wanted to cover all their bases, so Nelson was included.”

He just negotiated a contract to do checks on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays, for a total of 166 days a year. The department breaks even on the $11,000 contract after paying for gas and officer time.

The Hill County Sheriff’s Office is paid roughly $20,000 annually to do the checks at Fresno Reservoir.

Because it is located on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, security checks at St. Mary are paid for by a number of different agencies. In fiscal year 2002, which began Oct. 1, 2001,