National authorities have focused in on Summit County after a suspicious incident was reported at the Echo Dam on August 7.
According to Barry Wirth from the Department of Bureau of Reclamation, around 12 men arrived at Echo Reservoir at 1 a.m. and paid to launch two boats. A concession worker at the reservoir and several observers reported seeing one of the boats drive alongside the dam while the people onboard shined flashlights against the structure.
“We do have people who use the reservoir at night for fishing and recreation,” said Wirth. “But not in this way, this was just out of the ordinary.”
The two boats left the dam before 5 a.m. and the incident was reported to authorities shortly thereafter by the concession worker worker’s supervisor.
Wirth would not comment on the ongoing investigation and both Homeland Security and the FBI declined to comment on their involvement.
“We want to know who these people are and what they were looking at,” said Wirth. “At any given time, we are monitoring for anything unusual.”
According to Wirth, authorities are checking the Bureau’s records to see if a similar incident has occurred before at any reservoir in Northern Utah.
“Surveillance is a crucial piece of making sure everyone stays safe,” he said. “Whether it’s by our employees or members of the public, we are very pleased this was reported and are hoping people continue to report suspicious activities to any organization.”