Walsh County Bans Camping at the Matejcek Dam

Authorities say they didn't want to take this step, but felt they had no other choice given locals' safety concerns.

WALSH COUNTY, N.D. (KVRR) – Walsh County Commissioner Kristi Brintnell lives just miles from the Matejcek Dam.

She says that for ages, people used the informal campsite overlooking the water as a place to enjoy the beauty of nature for a few nights.

Now, though, people are staying for months at a time.

That’s raised concerns about safety and cleanliness in an area authorities say is not suitable for permanent residents.

“We started hearing from citizens that they didn’t necessarily feel safe coming down here anymore,” she said.

According to Walsh County, their Water Resource District owns the dam and surrounding land.

They, alongside other authorities like the Sheriff’s Office and County Commission, came to a decision.

Overnight camping is now banned, and the area has a 10 P.M. curfew.

The press release, put on Facebook by the Walsh County Sheriff’s Office, has provoked a divided reaction.

Some locals applaud the decision, while others feel it’s infringing on their liberties.

Brintnell understands where the latter group is coming from –

“My kids have grown up here, and now we bring our grandkids out here, and it’s hard for me to see that we’re having to restrict services now to people,” she said.

but she says in the end – they didn’t feel they had another choice.

The July 1 notice gave campers 72 hours to vacate the property.

Authorities say they expect that to go smoothly and that they don’t anticipate any confrontations when enforcing this policy.