Crystal Lake (Vermont)
Encyclopedia
Crystal Lake is near the village of Barton
in Orleans County, Vermont
. It is a glacial
lake 3 by and 100 feet (30.5 m) deep in places. Route 5
runs along the lake's western shore. Crystal Lake is in the northeast section
of the state of Vermont. The lake is owned by the state and managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Exotic species infestations are a concern, with an existing Eurasian water milfoil population, which is being addressed.
The lake is a coldwater fishery. Lake trout are native and the current population is wild. There are rainbow trout (wild and stocked), yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rockbass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, longnose suckers, white suckers, and various minnow species.
were forced to retreat through the area following their attack on Saint-Francis, Quebec
in 1759. The fleeing rangers split up before getting to Barton. One group followed the Barton River
south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake where they were able to catch fish. From there, they continued south over the summit into the Passumpsic River Valley.
In the 19th century, the lake was sometimes called "Belle Pond."
Construction on a dam to enhance and control the lake was completed in 1860. It consists of concrete, stone, and masonry. The core is concrete. The foundation is rock, and soil. The height is 17 feet (5.2 m) by 65 feet (19.8 m) long. Maximum discharge is 1700 cubic feet (48.1 m³) per second. The capacity is 6740 acre.ft. Normal storage is 2808 acre.ft. It drains an area of 22.5828 square miles (58.5 km²).
Around 1900, a granite quarry was located on the east side of the lake. Steamboats barged stone across to the west side.
The lake has two parks at the north end. The State Park started by the CCC
during the depression but not completed until the 1940s. It is at the northwestern edge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
August 30, 2005.
Adjacent to the state park, at the northeastern end, is Pageant Park, the Barton, Vermont town park.
had an underground aquifer that fed Crystal Lake - that an object (or drowning victim) lost in the former, would turn up in the latter eventually. This has been debunked by geologists.
Barton (village), Vermont
Barton is a village located near the center of the town of Barton, in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 742 at the 2000 census.-Government:...
in Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
. It is a glacial
Laurentide ice sheet
The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, multiple times during Quaternary glacial epochs. It last covered most of northern North America between c. 95,000 and...
lake 3 by and 100 feet (30.5 m) deep in places. Route 5
U.S. Route 5
U.S. Route 5 is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St...
runs along the lake's western shore. Crystal Lake is in the northeast section
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
of the state of Vermont. The lake is owned by the state and managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Exotic species infestations are a concern, with an existing Eurasian water milfoil population, which is being addressed.
The lake is a coldwater fishery. Lake trout are native and the current population is wild. There are rainbow trout (wild and stocked), yellow perch, smallmouth bass, rockbass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, longnose suckers, white suckers, and various minnow species.
History
Rogers' RangersRogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
were forced to retreat through the area following their attack on Saint-Francis, Quebec
Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec
Saint-François-du-Lac is a community in the Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,002...
in 1759. The fleeing rangers split up before getting to Barton. One group followed the Barton River
Barton River
The Barton River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States.It runs north from Glover through Barton, Brownington, Coventry and drains through Newport into Lake Memphremagog's South Bay.-Course:...
south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake where they were able to catch fish. From there, they continued south over the summit into the Passumpsic River Valley.
In the 19th century, the lake was sometimes called "Belle Pond."
Construction on a dam to enhance and control the lake was completed in 1860. It consists of concrete, stone, and masonry. The core is concrete. The foundation is rock, and soil. The height is 17 feet (5.2 m) by 65 feet (19.8 m) long. Maximum discharge is 1700 cubic feet (48.1 m³) per second. The capacity is 6740 acre.ft. Normal storage is 2808 acre.ft. It drains an area of 22.5828 square miles (58.5 km²).
Around 1900, a granite quarry was located on the east side of the lake. Steamboats barged stone across to the west side.
The lake has two parks at the north end. The State Park started by the CCC
CCC
- Businesses and organizations :* Canterbury of New Zealand, a New Zealand-based sports apparel company* Center for Community Change, one of the larger community building organizations in the United States* Color Climax Corporation, a Danish pornography company...
during the depression but not completed until the 1940s. It is at the northwestern edge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
August 30, 2005.
Adjacent to the state park, at the northeastern end, is Pageant Park, the Barton, Vermont town park.
Myth
Legend stated that the higher Lake WilloughbyLake Willoughby
Lake Willoughby is a lake in the town of Westmore in Orleans County in the northeast section of Vermont, United States. Willoughby is a glacial lake over deep in places, the deepest lake entirely contained in the state....
had an underground aquifer that fed Crystal Lake - that an object (or drowning victim) lost in the former, would turn up in the latter eventually. This has been debunked by geologists.