DEC file photo of Groton dam.
Vermont Business Magazine Following historic flooding that has occurred throughout Vermont, the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Dam Safety Program will be performing follow-up inspections in the coming days to identify dams that may have been impacted.
The Dam Safety Program will be prioritizing inspection of dams that have the potential to impact life and property such as homes and roads. Inspections are being performed by trained engineers at no cost to dam owners. There are over 400 dams located within Vermont that impound enough water to pose a risk should the dam fail. A large number of those dams are owned by private individuals.
To date, the Program has not been able to make contact with some dam owners to initiate inspection efforts. As outreach efforts continue, the Program asks that anyone who owns a dam and has not been directly contacted by the Program to email [email protected], as soon as possible.
Prompt contact by dam owners is critical to ensuring that dams are inspected soon for safety risks. To the extent that the Program is not able to obtain access permission to inspect a dam during this process, the Program may require the owner to conduct an inspection and submit a report to the Program.
For more information on flood recovery resources from the Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Environmental Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Department, or the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, visit https://ANR.Vermont.gov/Flood.
Source: 7.18.2023. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Montpelier, Website
