Otter Creek (Vermont)

The Otter Creek Falls in Vergennes

Otter Creek in Weybridge

The Otter Creek is a river in Vermont in the United States.

Its length is usually given with about 180 km. He is one of the longest rivers of Vermont. It is added to this length in the literature, however, widely differing information; the official sources are silent about a length specification. Likewise, the exact catchment area is not defined.

The Otter Creek originates on the western flank of Mount Tabor, initially flows south in order to swing north to just a few kilometers in a big bow and largely in a straight line to flow toward Lake Champlain, in which he then opens. It flows through the main settlements of several towns; in three of them - Middlebury, Weybridge and Vergennes - crashes the otherwise peaceful river while on smaller waterfalls. For this reason, the Otter Creek is navigable only from the mouth to the first of these cases in Vergennes. While the river until the 1970s - buoyed by the opening of the railway line Bellows Falls Burlington in 1847, which the course of the river valley follows the west side of the Green Mountains - was also used for the transport waterway, the waterway now serves exclusively to the recreational sports: He is used extensively by both canoeists and anglers. Near the river mouth and motor yachts are found spread.

On his way to the north of the river forms several swamps; it is approximately 4,200 ha largest area of Cornwall asked Swamp, since 1974 as a nature park Otter Creek Swamps under protection. It is the largest protected area of Vermont.

In the British -American War of 1812, the American fleet for the Lake Champlain was attached to keel below the falls in Vergennes. To protect the fleet, the Fort Cassin was applied to the mouth of the river after which this spot is named today ..