WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 – The Senate passed an amendment Thursday introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that would allow Vermont to apply for up to $10 million for repairs to the Waterbury Dam, which was built in the 1930s.  

The amendment was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“The Waterbury Dam is an essential piece of Vermont’s infrastructure,” said Sanders, who serves on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “Maintaining and repairing the dam has long been a priority for the state. This bi-partisan legislation is a first step in rebuilding aging dams in Vermont and throughout the United States.”

Sanders’ amendment authorizes efforts to study, design and construct control gates, spillways and dam safety improvements for aging flood control reservoirs constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers before 1940. The Waterbury Dam is one of several dams in the United States that will be eligible to apply for the funds.

The Waterbury Dam is located on the Little River three miles upstream from its junction with the Winooski River in Waterbury, Vermont. The dam was designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of a regional flood damage reduction plan for the Winooski River basin.