The lowly culvert got a lot of attention in the Statehouse on Wednesday. The issue is whether the federal government will help towns pay to build bigger bridges and culverts to replace those destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene.

The state is appealing a ruling by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that denied full funding for a culvert in Townshend destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene.

A stream crossing in Townshend is the test culvert for building back town infrastructure in a more resilient fashion after the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it won't pay for larger culverts like the one in Townshend that the state says are needed to withstand future floods. FEMA says the state is applying inconsistent standards.

Federal officials say they'll help put in culverts larger than the pipes that were washed out during the floods of Tropical Storm Irene. A special FEMA mitigation program will help put in facilities that might hold up better in a future flood.

Culverts are the pipes that channel water under roads. They're often overlooked as part of the transportation infrastructure unless they fail.