Beaver Creek Park reopens

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said this morning that the county is reopening the park today.

"Most campgrounds will be open," he said. "There are still some area closures … scattered throughout the park."

The Hill County Commission closed the park June 3 due to flooding on Beaver Creek. The same day the commission issued an emergency disaster declaration. The flooding also hit Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation.

The county and Rocky Boy are still working to repair damage from last year's flood, which led to a presidential disaster declaration.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer has asked President Barack Obama to again declare a federal disaster because of the flooding in Montana.

Edgar said his crews have been able to get out and do work at Beaver Creek Park, removing debris and repairing roads. Many roads still are impassable, he said.

"We hope that the people will be patient while we work to repair the flood damage," he added.

He said the campgrounds and roads that are closed are clearly marked, including Firemans and Lions campgrounds, two of the worst hit.

Edgar said the park staff hopes that people using the park respect the closure signs, both for safety reasons and to prevent further damage to the wet campgrounds and roads.