The gates are being installed at Anderson Ranch Dam on the South Fork of the Boise River about 75 miles northeast of Boise, Palisades Dam on the South Fork of the Snake River about 55 miles southeast of Idaho Falls and Deer Flat Lower Dam near Melba in southwest Idaho.
"With the risk of terrorist attacks, it is important to install these gates," Chris Ketchum, the bureau's deputy area manager, told the Post Register. "The only time the gates will be closed is during a security threat or when the national threat level goes up."
He said the agency is installing similar gates at dams it controls all over the country but not at privately owned dams.
Ketchum said the price of the gates will be determined when a contractor is selected.
Of the three Idaho dams, a gate closure at Palisades would disrupt the most traffic. Motorists heading south out of Idaho or north from Alpine, Wyo., would have to take alternate routes.
Ketchum said signals will warn motorists when the gates are closed. Some alternate routes involve rough driving and may need repairs to be suitable for normal vehicles, he added.
"This may be a little aggravating for some drivers because a few of these detours may add two and a half hours to their drive," he said. "However, these precautions are intended to make sure the public is as safe as possible."
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