Table of Contents
The following sections describe the natural resources in both the Barton Village and the surrounding area. Natural resources includes water coverages, forest lands, and agricultural lands. The built environment includes transportation, infrastructure, municipal buildings, and the village's public facilities. The subsequent section will describe the town's zoning and land use.
The Village of Barton is, in a sense, defined by its natural resources. It is situated at the intersection of two narrow valleys and surrounded by mountains. The village was settled on the bodies of the water that cut these valleys: Crystal Lake and its falls, and the Barton River. Perhaps, the most striking characteristic of the village is the sloping land on which it is sited. This slope carries water from Crystal Lake down cascading falls that drop from the lake to the Barton River. This slope creates the unique characteristic of an upper village that sits on the shore of the lake and a lower village situated along the Barton River.
Crystal Lake is located on the southeastern edge of Barton Village and stretches about three miles to the south and is three quarters of a mile wide. It covers 778 acres (Pillsbury c.1900). May Hill, with an elevation of 2007 feet, defines the eastern shore of Crystal Lake. The steep and sometimes sheer slope rises over 1000 feet from the shoreline. Despite the extreme relief, the slope hosts some houses along the shoreline. The western side of the lake is enclosed by the lower elevations of Big Rock Hill. The southern portion of this rectangular lake is a relatively open and flat area where the Willoughby Brook and its surrounding wetlands can be found. There is also a public boat access and parking area on the southern and western shores as well as along the northern shore. The northern shore, where the lake meets the town is the only part of the lake with any significant residential development. This development is generally confined to the outflow area of the Crystal Lake Falls. The rest of the northern shoreline is devoted to Crystal Lake State Park and the adjacent town-owned Pageant Park. The state owned recreation facility includes a generous parking area, wide swaths of lawn and a white sand beach. The clean, clear water of Crystal Lake makes it perfect for swimming, fishing and boating. Located on the northeastern corner of Crystal Lake is Pageant Park which also offers a sandy beach, bath house, camping, boat ramp, and picnic area.
In addition to the recreational opportunities that are enjoyed by both residents and visitors alike, there is the inherent value that the lake offers through aesthetic beauty and biological diversity. The backdrop of May Hill provides a stunning landscape to this natural habitat for aquatic, avian and woodland wildlife. Perhaps Crystal Lake's most valuable resource is the provision of a wide expanse of open space within the village boundaries. The importance of views and a sense of visual scale is difficult to measure, but it is clear that the vistas and beauty of the lake are important elements of Barton's economy and character.
Crystal Lake Falls lie at the northwest corner of Crystal Lake via the outlet. The water flowing from the lake drops dramatically from an elevation of 950 feet, the base elevation of Crystal Lake, to an elevation just over 800 feet where the falls join the Barton River a mere quarter mile away. Historically, these falls played a vital role in the industrial era of Barton. Today the falls have slipped into disuse and all that remains of Barton's once thriving mills and factories are decaying foundations, abandoned buildings, and several unused dams. A few of the former warehouses are presently occupied with businesses that have no direct association with the falls. Access to the falls is difficult and overgrown, however, harnessed or unharnessed, the falls are a vibrant and dynamic source of energy. They provide aeration and oxygenation of the stream which is good for fish habitat and water quality.
The Barton River has physically shaped the land by etching this valley into the northern Green Mountains and depositing the soil of the agricultural lands on which a small sector of the economy still depends. Historically the Barton River provided the town with its major transportation routes north to Orleans, Newport and beyond. Recreationally, the river is available for canoeing, swimming and fishing. The trees along the river banks provide moderating factors in severe weather in the forms of shade, wind buffers and moisture from transpiration. Presently, the river's primary functions are for ecological, recreational, aesthetic beauty, and water treatment. The water quality and streambank stability are high, but as the town continues to develop, it is important to keep in mind that preservation of the riparian ecosystem is less costly than repairing it.
May Pond is located on the eastern slope of May Hill at an elevation of over 1200 feet. The pond is not only part of the town's water supply, but a beautiful recreation resource as well. It is used for fishing and non-motorized boating.
The forested land in Barton is another valuable resource. Some of the more notable forested areas include portions of May Hill, Big Rock Hill and Barton Mountain. While farms and industrial mills were the economic base in Barton's early years, the wood products industry played an increasingly important role in carrying the town through the period of agricultural consolidation. The town's character, history and sense of place depend heavily on the resources of it woodlands. Barton is fortunate to have heavily forested lands close to its village centers. The wood products industry still plays an important role in the town's economy, and new forestry management practices are going to be relevant with the strengthening of tourism as an economic base. These woodlands provide employment and revenue through the harvesting and processing of timber, fuel wood, and pulpwood for paper products. These resources are also an integral part of the tourism industry in the form of hunting and fishing, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling and viewing especially in the fall.
The forested lands in Barton also offer natural resources in the way of habitat. The habitat for wildlife such as deer, moose, birds and bear is important to the character of the town as well as providing locals and visitors alike with options for hunting, viewing and learning. Environmental benefits of forested lands in Barton include better air quality, erosion control, and climate control. It is also within large tracts of the forest lands that the water recharge areas are located. These protected regions insure that the town's drinking water demand and quality standards are met.
In recent years, Barton Town's farming population has been in decline. A smaller and smaller percentage of the population is involved in growing and supplying food and materials from agricultural lands. Still, however, the open lands associated with the agricultural industry are a very important natural resource. The open lands both near the center of the village and in the longitudinal river valley provide everyone, tourists included, with views and vistas that offer an important sense of scale. With a river valley on one side and steep hills on the other, one can easily get a fair sense for the size, shape and setting of the village. Preserving views of the surrounding hillsides, forest lands, and agricultural lands is important for preserving Barton's regional identity and sense of place.
More importantly, perhaps, is the impact of farming on the local economy. Traditionally, farming, particularly dairy farming, was a vital part of local economics. Local farms kept the exchange of dollars within the community and provided members of the community with the valuable resource of food. Today, transportation, mechanization and preservation allow foods to be produced at a large scale over a extremely broad area and shipped from various regions. These factors have reduced the importance of producing locally. Although recent trends have made local farming less profitable, the concept of producing and consuming local resources should not be lost. A time may come when it will once again be advantageous and more sustainable to re-employ the existing agricultural lands. Conservation of these lands should be considered when determining a long range plan.
Comments to: crs@uvm.edu Reviewed on 3/28/97