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The Black River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont and a tributary of the Connecticut River. The watershed, or drainage basin, consists of some 202 square miles in southeastern Vermont, almost all of which lies in Windsor County.

The Black River begins in a small body of water called Black Pond, in Plymouth, Vermont. Winding its way toward the town of Ludlow, its narrow flow picks up a variety of small brooks and streams and is cooled by overhanging branches. Passing through Amherst Lake, Echo Lake, Lake Rescue and Lake Pauline, the Black River picks up more tributaries and winds through the town of Ludlow, the home of Okemo Mountain Ski Resort. Tumbling through impressive Cavendish Gorge, the river widens as it passes under the Downers Covered Bridge and enters Perkinsville.

The North Branch of the Black River, its headwaters in Reading, joins the main stem in Weathersfield at the flood control dam. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers between 1957-60, the dam holds back waters to protect the downstream towns of North Springfield and Springfield from floods.

The Black River pushes on through these final two towns, past small dams and many industrial sites, until its final confluence with the mighty Connecticut River at Hoyt's Landing, across from New Hampshire's Fort No. 4 in Charlestown.

River and falls in Springfield, Vermont, about 1910

Since the settlement of Springfield in the mid-1700's, the river has been at its heart. A source of power for the many industrial factories built on her shores, many small hydro dams were built near the impressive Comtu Falls in the center of Springfield.

Flooding was a common occurrence on the Black River, and there are many residents who still remember the rampage of 1927. A late-season tropical storm brought torrential rains to the lower towns of the watershed in early November. The small tributary streams overflowed their banks, gushing thousands of gallons of cold water into the already turbid waters of the Black River. Homes were lost, hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage was done, and businesses were destroyed. However, citizens pulled together to save each other and to rebuild their towns and communities.

In recent years, citizens have pulled together to take part in improving the health and in celebrating the heritage and recreation of the Black River, from the Lake Rescue Association and its invasive plant removal activities to the Black River Action Team and its annual cleanup project, visual assessment, and educational programs.

From the lakes in Plymouth to the mountain in Ludlow, from the gorge in Cavendish to the trails and waterfall in Springfield, the Black River is a must-see in Windsor County. There are many sites for recreation, whether a paddle trip, bicycle tour or hike is planned.

• http://www.blackriveractionteam.org
• http://www.ctriver.org
• http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/recreati/nsl/nslhome.htm
• http://www.springfieldvt.com/toonerville.pdf
• http://www.swcrpc.org
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/WindsorSpringfield.html
• http://www.vacd.org
• http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.asp?trailid=CGN027-015
• Lyndes, E.J. The Black River's Rampage, 1927: Springfield, VT. American Legion Press, 195_.
• Wood, John. A Leap in the Dark: How Springfield, Vermont Coped with Industrialization, Immigration and War, 1890-1920. Dissertation: California State University, 1987.