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Barre City River Access Task Force
"Barre Rivers"
The City
On November 6, 1780, 19,900 acres of land which was west of the New Hampshire Grants and east of New York was chartered to William Williams and 60 others and given the name of Wildersburgh. This chartered land encompassed the area that is now known as the City of Barre and the Town of Barre. In 1788 John Goldsbury and Samuel Rogers brought their families here and began to settle the area. For reasons best known to the people of the time, just under four square miles of the more populated area of the town was carved out in 1895, and the City of Barre was created by the action of the voters and the charter which was granted by the state legislature.
The River
According the The Barre Daily Times, starting in 1908 and taking a number of years to complete, the course of the Stevens Branch was to be altered into the path we see today. The course of the Stevens branch was to be turned from the rear of the business block on Main Street and made to flow across Burnham’s Meadow to avoid the yearly flooding of the businesses basements and to abate the perpetual nuisance in every way which the river had been to the abutting land owners and the City in general (07-22-1910). The map at right shows the Stevens Branch's location in 1905.
The Task Force
River access was identified as a top priority by the Barre City community in the fall of 2021 as part of the All in for Barre event led by Barre City and the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). As a result, the Barre City River Access Task Force was created. The task force is made up of a group of local residents who meet monthly to promote and increase river access through community engagement, access development, education, and outreach activities.
Our Vision
The people of Barre City are connected to their local rivers through access areas and river corridors that are friendly, safe, and accessible to everyone.
Our Mission
Promoting and increasing river access, through community engagement and understanding, creation of river access areas, education, and outreach activities in Barre City, Vermont.
Our Goals
- To continue to familiarize community members with our vision and mission through social media and local in-person events.
- To continue to learn more about how our community feels about their local rivers and share information we have to answer their questions.
- To continue to learn how the community has interacted with our rivers in the past and would like to interact with our rivers in the future.
- To continue to engage the public and encourage community participation through water quality monitoring, river clean-ups, and education and outreach events.
- To begin steps to enhance and create new river access sites in Barre City.
- To continue and grow collaboration with local partners.
Where To Find Us
In the River : )
FaceBook as River Access Task Force
Instagram @barrerivers
Email [email protected]
Call/Text 802-505-7345
