Need an engineer
"We've been working at getting it stabilized for two years," said Chairwoman of the Cemetery Commission Betty Bolognani. "We're going to get an engineer to assess the situation."
The commission has been monitoring the erosion since Bolognani discovered it two years ago when looking for knocked-over gravestones to repair. Two large logs were lodged into the side of the riverbank and directing the water onto the cemetery, Bolognani said.
"They were forcing all the water to come toward the cemetery land. They've since been washed away or were removed but a big stretch of gravel formed and put even more water (toward the cemetery)," Bolognani said. "It needs to be fixed."
The problem can be solved with simple riprapping but because of the environmental impacts, getting to that stage is much more time-consuming, Bolognani said. The commission has been in conversations with multiple environmental groups and engineers and attempting to find funding.
Shelly Stiles, district manager for the Bennington County Conservation District, helped direct the commission, Bolognani said.
Fred Nicholson, stream alterations engineer with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, surveyed the river and made recommendations, but the commission now has to hire an engineer.
"It's kind of frustrating when you're trying to do these projects," Bolognani said. "We haven't hired an engineer yet."
The group has an engineer in mind and believes grant money is secured for the study but with snowbanks in the way, a timetable is not set. The Army Corps of Engineers, which needs to approve the project, has been notified of the problem, Bolognani said.
"We're moving forward. We have a couple years before we lose a casket," Bolognani said.
The Select Board recently said that a letter of support will be written to go with the grant application, and if the town road crew can do the work, they will.
"Everybody is being very cooperative," Bolognani said.
Select Board Chairman Raymond Eilers said last week that he visited the site and saw where the bank was getting close to one gravestone but the snow banks were too high for him to get a close look at it.