Otter Creek (Vermont)

Coordinates: 44°13′32″N 73°19′29″W / 44.2256084°N 73.3248477°W / 44.2256084; -73.3248477

Otter Creek
River
Otter Creek Falls in Middlebury
Country	USA
State	Vermont
Counties	Bennington, Rutland, Addison
Towns/Cities	Wallingford, Rutland, Brandon, Middlebury, Vergennes
Source
- location	Peru, Vermont
- elevation	2,500 ft (762 m)
- coordinates	43°16′49″N 72°58′32″W / 43.28024°N 72.97545°W / 43.28024; -72.97545
Mouth	Fort Cassin Point, Lake Champlain
- location	Ferrisburgh
- elevation	29 m (95 ft)
- coordinates	44°13′32″N 73°19′29″W / 44.2256084°N 73.3248477°W / 44.2256084; -73.3248477
Length	112 mi (180 km)
Course of Otter Creek

Otter Creek is one of the major streams located in the state of Vermont. Roughly 112 miles (180 km) in length, it is the primary stream running through Rutland County and Addison County. It is one of the largest rivers in Vermont state.

Otter Creek rises in the Green Mountain National Forest on the western slopes of Mt. Tabor in Peru township in Bennington County, and flows southwesterly towards East Dorset, thence veering northward into Emerald Lake in Dorset township. Thence it runs northward passing through the townships of Danby, Wallingford, Clarendon, Rutland, Proctor, Pittsford, Brandon, in Rutland County. On entering Addison County, it generally forms the town line between various townships. It next passes through Middlebury, Weybridge and Vergennes and eventually empties into Lake Champlain at Ferrisburgh.

A short history of Otter Creek can be found in Otter Creek in History ^[1], from which the following two paragraphs have been summarized:

Otter Creek in History

An address by Hon Henry W Hill of Buffalo, NY

Originally delivered at Fort Cassin, Vermont on September 7, 1914

Otter Creek (or "Kill") was known to the French as "La Rivière aux Loutres", whence the English name. On April 1st, 1690 Capt. Abraham Schuyler was commissioned by the city of Albany to take a party up the Otter Creek about seven miles and there to keep watch and engage any indians. [This would correspond today to the town of Vergennes]. In 1731, the French began construction of a fort at Crown Point to be known as Fort Frederic. Before construction began, they founded a new settlement called Addison.

Vergennes, situated on the first falls, 7 miles (11 km) upstream from the outlet of Otter Creek, was chartered in 1778 only four years after New Haven and Hartford, and thus was the third incorporated city in New England.

The stretch of water between the mouth at Fort Cassin point, Lake Champlain (the site of the former Fort Cassin) and Vergennes is passable by boat, and is frequented by motor boats, canoes, and kayaks. Indeed, Vergennes was a shipyard of some importance in the various wars of the 18th century. Many nesting platforms have been built along the creek, so one is likely to see both Osprey and Bald Eagles in the area.

The second set of falls, the Otter Creek Falls, is in the town of Middlebury, the site chosen in 1800 to be Vermont's original seat of higher education, Middlebury College. According to Around Middlebury^[2], Otter Creek is the longest river in Vermont and was once an important "highway" through the western part of what is now the state.

In Addison and Rutland Counties, Otter Creek passes through significant wetlands, in particular Cornwall Marsh, Little Otter Creek Marsh and the Brandon Swamp.

Because it is called a creek, the unusual situation of a river emptying into a creek occurs several times along its length. For a list of these tributaries, see List of rivers of Vermont#Lake_Champlain. The source and mouth are separated by 68 miles (109 km) miles distance -- the (approximate) additional 44 miles (71 km) are due to meandering.

Otter Creek gives its name to a brewery located in Middlebury: Otter Creek Brewing.

Notes

1. ^ Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society 1914, pp. 128.
2. ^ Zaremba.

References

• "Otter Creek in History". Proceedings of the Vermont Historical Society for 1913-1914. 1914. 
• Zaremba, Robert E.; Jeanloz, Danielle R. (2000). Around Middlebury (Postcard History Series). 
• "Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)" USGS 29 http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1460510(note that the coordinates of the source quoted on GNIS are incorrect) 

External Links

• Brandon Swamp [1]
• Cornwall Swamp [2]
• Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area [3]
• Emerald Lake State Park [4]
• Little Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area [5]
• Lower Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area [6]
• Otter Creek Audubon Society [7]
• Otter Creek (Historic New England) [8]
• Otter Creek Whitewater [9]
• Otter Creek State Wildlife Management Area [10]