Tensions are rising in one small Vermont town

 Tensions are rising in one small Vermont town due to a clash between 19th-century infrastructure and 21st-century flooding. Two floods later, Glover’s Shadow Lake Dam could use a facelift. However, it’s one of dozens that need fixing or complete overhauls, and it’s not exactly at the top of the list. That’s where the trouble lies. As the town administrator,  Theresa Perron-Janowski’s  job is to monitor the centuries-old structure. To her dismay, a sinkhole that formed during the 2023 floods had grown. Glover fixed the sinkhole and secured the dam, bringing the lake down two feet. But it’s only a temporary fix. The dam needs a structural analysis to determine the next steps, but Glover just lost out on $85,000 in FEMA funds to another, more dire project. The fight for dam fixing funds comes down to hazard level. Shadow Lake Dam is one of Vermont’s 130 significant hazard dams, meaning properties downstream in Glover and Barton would be damaged during a break. That’s why dam safety officials say communities like Glover aren’t first on the list to receive funding and may have to resort to community fundraising.