I was recently listening to Vermont Edition on Vermont's Public Radio, and the topic was rebuilding roads after the storm. It was
discussed how construction crews were hastily channelizing the river and
putting in gravel and boulders to slow future water flows should there
be another catastrophic flood event. And how the state pulled together its
resources and got roads fixed to keep the state moving and to make sure
people weren't stranded. However, in hindsight it was discussed that
the construction workers should have talked with river experts to make
sure that the efforts made would prevent future destruction as much as
possible. Nobody is laying blame since the state and its citizens were
in such distress, something had to be done quickly.
But
it's true. Repairing the roads and bridges were the primary things
that needed to be fixed, but channelizing rivers and changing other
facets of the rivers could have waited until environmental scientists
and river engineers could be consulted. Lining inlets with rocks and
boulders and scraping out displaced sediment might not have been the
best decision for the fish and other aquatic and riparian flora and
fauna that have had their lives destructed and displaced as well.
Something does need to be done to make sure the widespread destruction
of people's lives and livelihoods doesn't occur in such magnitude in the
future, but we shouldn't forget that other living creatures lost their
lives and habitats as well.
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