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Emmons County Commissioners close damaged north–south section line after public hearing
Summary
After a public hearing and testimony from adjacent landowners, the Emmons County Commission voted to abandon (close) the north–south portion of a quarter‑mile section line near Sections 27–28; commissioners denied a related east–west closure request.
Emmons County commissioners voted on May 1 to close a roughly one‑quarter‑mile stretch of a north–south section line after a public hearing in which adjacent landowners described the track as washed out and impassable.
Commissioners said the portion of section line being abandoned has been unmaintained for decades and is effectively impassable where Beaver Creek has washed through the corridor. Petitioner testimony said the road “hasn’t been driven since the late nineties” and that fence and brush growth make travel unsafe. County staff and several commissioners noted the closure would allow adjoining owners to fence to the section centerline. The motion to close passed on a roll‑call vote with five ayes.
Why it matters: Closing a section line abandons a public right‑of‑way and lets adjoining landowners fence to the centerline, which alters legal public access and future maintenance responsibility. Commissioners debated whether the east–west portion of the same section line should remain open because parts of it remain farmable and are actively used by sportsmen and neighbors.
During the hearing, county officials and petitioners described recurring washouts and broken culvert areas that make the north–south corridor hazardous; some commissioners said signs or barricades could be alternatives. Others said past experience shows summer rains and floods repeatedly undermine that stretch and that leaving it open creates an ongoing liability concern and repeated emergency responses.
The commission also considered a petition to close the longer east–west portion (approximately three‑quarters of a mile). After discussion and a second motion, the commission denied the east–west closure by roll call, leaving that portion open to public access but discussing options such as signage or temporary barricades to warn motorists where the route is impassable.
What happens next: The county will record the formal abandonment order and the adjoining landowners may place the agreed fence on the centerline for the closed north–south segment. The county did not direct immediate changes to public signage on the surviving east–west segment but discussed placing warning signs and working with landowners on seasonal access and fire‑safety issues.
