Dams on Vermont Lakes – Shadow Lake and Beyond
Vermont has over 1000 dams, many located on lakes. The floods of 2023 and 2024 along with increasing torrential rainstorms have led to many of the dams on the lakes being strained or damaged and in need of repair. The responsibility for repairing and maintaining these dams falls to the dam owner which can be a lake association, a company, a municipality, or a private owner – and it is up to the owner to fund the repairs as there is almost no funding from the state for this work.
Shadow Lake Dam, Glover, VT Photo Credit: C. Cano https://shadowlakeassociation.org/about/shadow-lake-dam/
One of the most pressing problems for dam owners and for their lakes is the lack of funding to do the necessary engineering studies and repairs on these dams. An example of the severity of the funding problem is the situation at Shadow Lake in Glover. That dam, which is owned by the Town of Glover, was damaged in the floods of 2023 and 2024 and now requires some $2.5 million in repairs. With a tiny population and no state funding, the town cannot afford this.
Yet the loss of the dam and much of Shadow Lake would be a huge blow to the town and regional economy. To try to raise funds for the repairs, the Shadow Lake Association has created a “Go Fund Me” campaign. Learn about what has happened there and help them out if you can, here: https://gofund.me/9929c772b
As part of our work to help and protect Vermont lakes, FOVLAP has brought together representatives from many of the lakes around the state with concerns about their dams in a “Dam Discussion Group” to share information, build a full picture of the problem for the state’s lakes, and to discuss and formulate potential solutions.
If you would like information about this group or would like to participate in this discussion, send an email to info@vermontlakes.org with “Dam Discussion Group” in the subject line.
To learn about the condition and ownership status of the dam on your lake, go to the Vermont Dam Inventory: https://dec.vermont.gov/water-investment/dam-safety/vermont-dam-inventory
More information on the Vermont Dam Safety Program can be found here:
https://dec.vermont.gov/water-investment/dam-safety
