Members of the Gallatin County Commission are asking for grant money to help buy a warning system to alert residents in the event of a catastrophic collapse of the Middle Creek Dam in Hyalite Canyon.

County leaders are expected to sign a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.

Officials say a recent feasibility study shows there is little danger of Hyalite Dam breaching, but that an early warning system would potentially save thousands of lives if the dam ever collapsed.

The study shows that a  breach would send billions of gallons of water rushing from the mouth of Hyalite Canyon, inundating the county and destroying thousands of homes and businesses.

The early warning alert system would cost an estimated $300,000 to install, and commissioners are asking for over $250,000.