MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury College, the Vermont Natural Resources Council, and Nature Conservancy in Vermont will screen “DamNation” on Monday, March 14, at 7 p.m. at Dana Auditorium on the Middlebury College campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. This award-winning film sheds new light on America’s dams and the national effort to remove so called “deadbeat” dams from the nation’s rivers.
Vermont is home to an estimated 1,200 dams, 200 of which have been identified as derelict or “deadbeat,” meaning they don’t help with flood control or produce energy or drinking water. Moreover, their continued existence in Vermont’s rivers and streams create threats to human safety, fish passage and river health.
The time has come for citizens to reflect on the legacy of dams in Vermont and the health of its watersheds to determine if they are being managed properly. Viewers are invited for a deeper conversation after the film, with a panel that includes Rose Paul, director of Critical Lands and Conservation Science at The Nature Conservancy; Brian Fitzgerald, river ecologist at Vermont Natural Resource Council; Jeff Crocker, streamflow protection coordinator at the Agency of Natural Resources; and Amy Sheldon, natural resource planner and river scientist at Landslide Natural Resource Planning, and Middlebury representative to the Vermont Legislature. 
This powerful film odyssey will capture the attention of community members, college, middle and high school students, and educators. The public is welcome to attend and learn about the issues facing Vermont’s river ecosystems.
To learn more, contact Keil Corey, Vermont Natural Resources Council, at [email protected] or 802-223-2328, ext. 121.