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November 27, 2009

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No evidence Lake Mead, dam targeted

Friday, Feb. 1, 2002 | 9:44 a.m.

Although the FBI warned this week that al-Qaida terrorists may have targeted American dams and water facilities, authorities locally said they haven't received any information indicating Hoover Dam or Lake Mead are targets.

"Generally, our security folks get information on things that come out like this," said Bob Walsh, Bureau of Reclamation spokesman. The bureau oversees operations at Hoover Dam.

He said the bureau stepped up security at the dam after the Sept. 11 attacks, but Thursday's warning has not sparked changes to security procedures.

J.C. Davis, spokesman for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District, said his agencies also did not receive specific threat information from Washington.

Regular testing -- including constant monitoring of the water stream for biological agents and about 70 times a day for inorganic contamination -- occurs for water going to homes on the Las Vegas water system, Davis said.

The lake itself is an unlikely target because with 9,000 trillion gallons, anything introduced into the water would be rapidly diluted, Davis said.

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