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: What Went Right  ( 4066 )
Chris Santee
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« : August 30, 2012, 09:29:58 AM »

On the Anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene: The Untold Stories of What Went Right

Short films by the Connecticut River Watershed Council and The Conservation Law Foundation show where – and how – decisions made prior to Irene avoided flood damage.

MONTPELIER, VT – Over the past year, Vermonters have come together to cope and to rebuild after the devastation caused by the state’s worst natural disaster in more than 80 years. And although much of Vermont sustained damage from the storm, two organizations are now sharing the untold story of what went right: successful land use planning meant that some towns that could have experienced extreme flooding were largely spared.

The Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRWC) and The Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) have joined together to produce two short films narrated by former Gov. Howard Dean.  The project was supported with a grant from the High Meadows Fund, based at the Vermont Community Foundation in Middlebury.

Dean said those stories are important given what happened during Tropical Storm Irene.

“Irene reminded us, yet again, of the link between land conservation and community development,” Dean said.  “Functioning floodplains and wetlands protect downstream communities.  And, when we build roads and villages along our streams, we need to plan ahead and accommodate big and fast water events.”

“Scientists tell us that powerful storms are likely to be more frequent in a changing climate,” Dean added. “So, it’s important that we incorporate the lessons of Irene into how we use our land and grow our communities.”

The first film answers the question of why, as Irene struck, the Otter Creek in Rutland rose quickly, increasing in flow by nearly 20 times in the space of a day, while downstream in Middlebury, the river rose much more gradually, and more safely.

The answer is that protected floodplains and wetlands along Otter Creek absorbed and slowed the floodwater, weakening its force and preventing damage downstream. Those flood plains and wetlands remain undeveloped and unusually intact because of years of preservation by conservation groups and a tradition by Vermonters along the Otter Creek of living with nearly annual floods.

“The acres and acres of swamps, wetlands and floodplains stand ready to absorb the water from Otter Creek each spring, and they stood ready after Irene. We don’t often think of that kind of natural flood protection in terms of how much money it saves, but it does,” said Louis Porter, Lake Champlain Lakekeeper for the Conservation Law Foundation.

“Would the stone bridge in Middlebury have been severely damaged in the flood otherwise? It is impossible to say for sure, but what is clear is that instead of gathering more water as it rushed downstream in the hours and days after Irene, the river lost force and volume,” said Porter.

The second film focuses on the story of a culvert on Jenny Coolidge Brook, near the headwaters of the West River in the Green Mountain National Forest. Before the storm, the culvert was replaced as part of a decision by the National Park Service to install larger structures. As other structures nearby were wiped out, the Jenny Coolidge culvert remained standing, not only saving money because it did not have to be replaced, but preventing erosion and other flood damage as well.

“These films take a look at individual and community-wide decisions that anticipate floods and protect the environment at the same time,” said David Deen, River Steward for the Connecticut River Watershed Council. “The Forest Service thought ahead by replacing an undersized culvert with an open-bottomed, properly sized culvert. It handily withstood the high flows from Irene.”

These two examples, and dozens more around Vermont, show where decisions about how to build and where to protect areas that naturally prevent flood damage can save money, protect the environment and help keep Vermonters safe. It is a lesson the state is in a good position to take advantage of, and an important one given what is now known about the increasing risk of flooding in a changing climate.


Take Care & God Bless,
             chris
csantee@myfairpoint.net
(802) 849-2758
(802) 782-0406 cell
www.TheFairfaxNews.com
Chris Santee
Hero Member
*****
: 2653



« #1 : August 30, 2012, 04:40:01 PM »

Both of the films can be seen here http://clf.org/hurricane-irene-anniversary/
or here http://ctriver.org/untoldstories/

Take Care & God Bless,
             chris
csantee@myfairpoint.net
(802) 849-2758
(802) 782-0406 cell
www.TheFairfaxNews.com
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