A joint U.S.-Canadian study group says there is an urgent need to spend about $14 million to study floodplain planning and forecasting in the Lake Champlain basin.
Flooding of the lake and Richelieu River in 2011 caused tens of millions of dollars in damage in Vermont, New York and Quebec and prompted the International Joint Commission to study practical and affordable preventive measures.
According to the Burlington Free Press, a report issued Monday calls for a five-year plan to overcome what the commission calls a "basin-wide governance gap."
Recommendations include accelerating the development of new modeling systems to help with flood forecasting and improving measures that slow the flow of water into the lake and river. The commission also urged local governments to take the lead in flood mitigation.
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