MARSHFIELD, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) - One year after a historic flood that inundated the area, work has been completed to keep a Washington County community safer in the years to come.

The Vermont Land Trust (VLT) announced Thursday that land along the Winooski River in Marshfield has been restored, and an 800-foot berm, or shelf of earth, has been removed.

The berm was built many years ago, to keep the river from overflowing into an adjacent field. Ecologists say it did that job perfectly during minor flooding events - but when major floods came in 2023 and 2024, the berm proved to be more of a hindrance than a help.

"When heavy rains swell Vermont’s rivers, that extra water needs somewhere to go,” explained Allaire Diamond, VLT's Ecology & Restoration Program Director. "Floodplains hold and

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