Otter Creek (Vermont)
| Otter Creek | |
|---|---|
Otter Creek Falls in Middlebury | |
Course of Otter Creek | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| Counties | Bennington, Rutland, Addison |
| Towns/Cities | Wallingford, Rutland, Brandon, Middlebury, Vergennes |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Peru, Vermont |
| • coordinates | 43°16′49″N 72°58′32″W / 43.28024°N 72.97545°W |
| • elevation | 2,500 ft (760 m) |
| Mouth | Fort Cassin Point, Lake Champlain |
• location | Ferrisburgh |
• coordinates | 44°13′32″N 73°19′29″W / 44.2256084°N 73.3248477°W |
• elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Length | 112 mi (180 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Middlebury |
| • average | 1,044 cu ft/s (29.6 m3/s) |
Otter Creek is the longest river entirely contained within the borders of Vermont. Roughly 112 miles (180 km) long, it is the primary watercourse running through Rutland County and Addison County. The mouth of the river flows into Lake Champlain.
Settled by indigenous peoples at least 10-11,000 years ago, the river was an important economic region for indigenous people before European settlement. The river became an important economic region for settlers, who took advantage of the river for agriculture and industry through the 18th and 19th centuries.