Indian Brook Reservoir is a 58 acre reservoir located in the town of

Essex, Vermont Essex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Vermont Route 289 crosses the town from east to west. The city of Essex Junction, population 10,590, was located within the town as an incorporated village until 2022. History The ...

. It is the focal point of the Indian Brook Town Conservation Area.

History

The reservoir was created to address the increasing demand for water in Chittenden County. A series of droughts in the early 20th century led the village of

Essex Junction Essex Junction is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 10,590. It was municipal incorporation, incorporated as a List_of_municipalities_in_Vermont#Villages, ...

to procure land for water conservation. On June 29, 1955, Essex Junction purchased 501 acres of land from various owners. In 1957, the village hired Knight Consulting Engineers, Inc. to build a dam across Indian Brook and flood the valley. The resulting impounded water formed a 58 acre reservoir and became the main source of water for the village. The land surrounding it was established as a water conservation area known as the Indian Brook Town Conservation Area.Essex Conservation Committee (2011). Indian Brook Management Plan. Town of Essex, Essex, VT. In the early 1970s, the growth of the village was again restricted by inadequate water supply, so in 1973 the village officially connected to the Champlain Water District and discontinued use of the reservoir. The taxes on the land, and the need to repay the new water infrastructure debt and future costs, led to a push to sell and/or rezone the land. In August 1977, after a public bidding process, the village trustees sold the Indian Brook property for $167,000 to several private developers. In November 1986, the town of Essex made a decision to purchase the land from private developers. On December 31, 1986, the land was purchased for $435,000.

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

provided a donation of $16,000. Following the purchase, the land was rezoned for open recreation. In 1988, water was lowered in the reservoir to facilitate minor repairs on the dam. Parking lots and roads were also upgraded, a boat launch and picnic sites were established, the remains of the old water treatment plant were razed, and park signs and trail markers were added.

Wildlife

The

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

stocks brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout. There is a known blue heron rookery in proximity to the reservoir. Hunting is prohibited within 500 feet of the reservoir, but is allowed elsewhere in the park.Essex Town Municipal Code, §9.08.080(B). 2005. http://www.essex.org/ordinances_regulations.

Notes

{{authority control Reservoirs in Vermont