Public meeting on Tiber Reservoir set in Chester

Staff and wire report

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is hosting a public meeting in Chester Wednesday, Oct. 9, to update the public on recreation and resource management issues around Lake Elwel, also known as Tiber Reservoir, southwest of Chester.

Topics of discussion will include information on fisheries and wildlife management, aquatic invasive species, recreation improvements and use of Reclamation lands.

”Reclamation considers public engagement important to understanding not only what is happening on our public lands, but also what is expected out of us as a public land management agency,” Reclamation’s Acting Montana Area Manager Tom Sawatzke said.

A popular recreation area, aquatic invasive mussel larvae were found in Lake Elwell and a sample test in Canyon Ferry Reservoir near Helena detected results that suspected mussel larvae were present.

The contamination is expected to have been caused by watercraft that had been launched in contaminated water being brought into Montana without proper decontamination and being launched in Tiber and Canyon Ferry.

The detection led to a total revision of water programs in Montana with required checkpoints to search for aquatic invasive species on watercraft coming into the state, watercraft crossing the Continental Divide into western Montana, coming off Tiber or Canyon Ferry reservoirs, or launching anywhere within the Flathead Basin and the watercraft last launched outside of that basin.

Tiber has a number of boat inspection sites, and the activity also has led to some planned upgrades of facilities on the reservoir.

The public meeting in Chester will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Liberty Community & Senior Center, 618 Adams Ave. East.