Updated at 5:43 p.m.
Vermont officials are keeping a close eye on three state-owned flood control dams along the Winooski River, they said Thursday morning, with thunderstorms forecast to bring an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain to the entire state starting in the afternoon.
Officials are monitoring water levels at the Waterbury Dam, the East Barre Dam and the Wrightsville Dam, which is on the Middlesex-Montpelier line, Maggie Gendron, deputy secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, said at a press conference in Berlin.
According to Gendron, based on current forecasts and modeling by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it was unlikely that water would flow over the spillway at the Wrightsville Dam Thursday — something that has not yet happened during this week’s storms.
Officials had warned previously that a spillway breach would release water into the north branch of the Winooski River, potentially creating a risk to people who live along that branch and in downtown Montpelier.
The water line at the Wrightsville Dam was about 2 feet below the spillway Thursday morning and dropping slowly, according to Eric Blatt, engineering director for the state’s dams program.
State officials said they were less concerned about the knock-on effects of a spillway breach Thursday morning because the level of the Winooski River, as well as the amount of floodwater present in downtown Montpelier, had receded significantly.
“That takes pressure off the entire system,” Blatt said.
According to a statement issued by the City of Montpelier early Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service told officials to expect 0.78 inches of rain in the area between 6 and 10 p.m., with up to 2 inches of rain falling in a worst-case scenario. City officials said they’re confident, after speaking with the state, that the dam can handle that amount of water. If 3 inches were to fall in the area, the city said, it could spill over and “cause minor flooding in the Meadow area, probably basements, and downtown.”
Gendron said the state’s chief dam safety engineer was on-site at the Waterbury Dam Thursday morning working to maximize its floodwater storage capacity, while a full contingent of staff were on hand at the Wrightsville Dam. Officials also are “periodically monitoring” conditions at the East Barre Dam, Gendron told reporters.
She called it “incredibly fortunate” that the dams had withstood the storms so far.
In response to a question, Gendron said the state has “completed outreach” to owners of municipal and private dams across the state, and wasn’t aware of any problems.
“It’s the responsibility of private dam owners to monitor their dams and report out to emergency management if there are any issues,” she said.
At Thursday’s press conference, Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said his agency was also bracing for the additional forecasted rain. Agency of Transportation crews were focused on removing obstacles from the waterways and reinforcing riverbanks, he said.
As of Thursday morning, 24 state-owned roads remained fully closed, and eight were partially closed — “or partially open, depending on whether your glass is half-full,” Flynn told reporters with a laugh. Dozens more state-owned roads had been reopened since Tuesday, he said, but noted that Thursday’s rain could set back that progress.
“Heavy rain absolutely makes a mess of every effort to recover a gravel road,” Flynn said. “It just does — it washes away the material, it exposes the aggregate.”
Flynn said several state-owned bridges will need minor repairs as a result of this week’s flooding, though just one, in Vershire, had “significant” damage. He said the agency planned to install a temporary replacement bridge there, though rain could delay the state’s work.
Flynn added that the Brookfield Floating Bridge in that town had not, as he had indicated Wednesday, disappeared. It simply flipped over in its place and was still intact.
Meanwhile, the secretary said, crews have found varying levels of damage across the state’s railroad lines. The worst damage was to the Green Mountain Railroad between Rutland and Bellows Falls, he said. Video posted to social media this week showed a portion of that line, which carries freight trains, left suspended in midair in Ludlow.
Flynn also said that an Atmrak Ethan Allen Express train remained sitting in Burlington Thursday as officials assessed damage along the route it takes south via Rutland.
All of Vemront’s rail trails remained closed Thursday, Flynn said, while all 10 of the state-owned airports were operational.
The Edward F. Knapp State Airport in Berlin was also serving as a temporary nerve center for VTrans’ vehicle fleet, Flynn said, as the agency’s central garage complex in Barre suffered “significant water damage” from flooding.