Corps inspects dams after Irene in New England

Col. Charles Samaris, commander and district engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, inspects the water and pool levels at Townshend Dam, Townshend, Vt., along with the dam's Project Manager Dale Berkness, who also oversees Ball Mountain Dam in Jamaica, Vt., and Matt Underwood, park ranger, Townshend Dam. Townshend Dam, along the West River, is part of a network of flood control projects in the Connecticut River Basin. It was constructed in 1961 at a cost of $7.5 million dollars, and the reservoir can store up to 11 billion gallons of floodwater severe weather occurs in the region. The dam's pool is currently 78 percent full from precipitation due to Tropical Storm Irene. Over the years, many lives and millions of dollars in damages have been saved. Coordination, timing, and careful decision making based on historical data and forecasting are the key elements to successful flood control operations. (U.S. Army photo/Frank Fedele)