Officials with the Army Corps of Engineers say a series of flood control projects built decades ago helped save Vermont from tens of millions of dollars in damage during flooding from Tropical Storm Irene last summer.
And the town of Springfield is probably the best example of a community that was protected by a flood control dam upriver.
Springfield didn’t suffer any significant damage during Irene. And the reason is the North Springfield Dam, which held back the floodwaters that damaged communities upstream such as Cavendish and Ludlow.
Police Chief Doug Johnston says that without the dam, Irene would probably have inundated the shopping plaza near the intersection of Vermont Routes 11 and 106 and could have threatened other homes and businesses downstream.