Saturated Soil Increases Risk Of Mudslides

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(Host) All the rain and flooding this spring has saturated the soil and made it a more active year for mudslides in the region, according to state geologist Larry Becker.

(Becker) "They’re more common than you might think. We live in a mountainous and hilly region, and some of our geologic materials that were left behind by the glaciers can be unstable. So we see these in a number of places around the state."

(Host) So far this year, those places include Highgate, Hardwick, Jeffersonville, Windsor and Barre.

Becker says the majority of mudslides in the region are not catastrophic events, but are slow moving.

The state is currently keeping an eye on stretches of the shore along Lake Champlain, which has a soft base, and may be more vulnerable to slides as a result of flooding and strong waves.

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