The Clyde River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States. It is the easternmost of the four major rivers in Orleans County. It is the most powerful of the four within Orleans County, powering several turbines at damsites. It is part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. It was named by one of the early surveyors from his partiality to a river of the same name in Scotland. The Route 105/114 junction to Clyde Road section of Clyde River in Vermont is long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-III section.
Geography
It drains the water from about. With the exception of three miles of rapids near its mouth, this is a very sluggish stream, passing through in its course, several natural ponds of considerable size. Even during spring high water, there is barely a perceptible current.
Course
The river has its source in Spectacle Pond in Brighton. The Southern part of Spectacle Pond is part of Brighton State Park. Spectacle Pond is actually a kettle. It is only deep with a thick bottom of muck. From the mouth of Spectacle Pond, the Clyde river flows on as follows: Higher course of the river
toward Northwest crossing the Island Pond toward Island Pond up to the mouth of the pond
toward the Southwest crossing the city of Island Pond et passing at South of Bluff Mountain, up to the confluence of Pherrins River.
Pherrins River which is the main tributary of Clyde River, empties into the Clyde River from the north at below the outlet, frequently rises quite suddenly, swelling the waters of the latter so as to reverse its current and cause it to back up into Island Pond with great force for ten hours or more, until the pond is full, or the water subsides below, when it will again change and rush out. Intermediary course of the river From the mouth of Pherrins River, the Clyde River flow as follow:
toward Southwest, up to Oswegatchie Pond ;
toward Northwest, snaking between Rosebrook Hill and Dollif Mountain up to the discharge of Mud Pounds ;
toward Northwest in Charleston, up to the discharge of a lake;
toward Northwest, un to Lang Brook ;
toward North-West by passing an island at the end of this segment, up to Back Brook ;
toward Northwest, up to Mad Brook ;
toward Northwest, passing at Northeast of Deer Hill, up to the discharge of Lake Echo and from Lake Seymour ; the confluence of this discharge is located at the South of East Charleston village;
toward Northwest, splitting in two for bypassing an island, then snaking up to the discharge of Toad Pond;
toward Northwest, up to South bank of Pensionner Pond.
Northward crossing Pensioner Pond up to the mouth where the lake is narrowing and curving to Northwest;
Northward up to the South bank of Charleston Pond;
Northward up to the dam at the mouth of Charleston Pond ;
to Northwest up to South bank of a lake;
to Northwest up to the confluence of the lake which is linked to Lake Salem by a strait of ;
to Northwest crossing Lake Salem up to the mouth;
Westward forming a curve to North, crossing the Interstate 91 and snaking up to the dam located at the Northeast end of Clyde Pond #1;
to Southwest, crossing Clyde Pond #1, up to the dam on West bank of the pond;
to West up crossing the city of Newport up to the confluence at the South bank of the Lake Memphremagog.
Charleston
The Clyde River is the largest in Charleston. It runs nearly through the center of the town. Some falls of importance are found on the stream, especially the Great Falls in the western part of the town, where the descent is more than in ; but its current is generally slow.
Derby
The Clyde River forms the principal water-course, flowing through the town from east to west. After exiting from Clyde Pond #1, it proceeds westward. It empties into Lake Salem from the south. It exits the northwest corner of this lake. It is then joined by an unnamed brook from Derby Pond from the north. It then empties into Clyde Pond #2 from the northeast. It exits this Pond west and into south Lake Memphremagog from the north. The mouth is just east of where US 5/Vermont 105 crosses Lake Memphremagog.
Natural history
Beaver populate the countryside and sometimes undercut the streamside silver maple, toppling them into the water thereby creating logjams. The river winds through farm country, with silver maple and alder dominating the shoreline. Northern white cedar, an occasional willow, and a variety of shrubs line the wide waterway, and vegetation dips right into the water.
Geology
The river is in the Nulhegan Basin of northeastern Vermont.
In the early 19th century a mill dam constructed at Arnolds Falls. In 1883 a dam was constructed at the outlet to Lake Memphremagog. In 1918 the Newport Dam was constructed. This dam was also known as Prouty Dam. It was long. This was also known as the Clyde Pond dam. The Echo Lake dam is not used for hydroelectric power. Construction was completed in 1922. It has a normal surface area of. It is owned by Great Bay Hydro Corporation. The dam is concrete. The core is homogeneous concrete. The foundation is rock. The height is. Maximum discharge is per second. Its capacity is. Normal storage is. It drains an area of. In 1928 a dam was constructed at West Charleston. In 1929 a dam was built at Pensioner's Pond. In 1957 #11 Dam was constructed. It was located below the current hydro generation station off Clyde Street. In 1994 the #11 Dam was breached. In 1996 the #11 Dam was removed. In 2007 a fish passage was built at the Newport Dam. Salmon fishing in Lake Memphremagog and the Clyde nearly stopped when the dam was constructed. It has improved since the dam's removal. The State of Vermont stocks the river with 30,000 salmon annually. 6,000 perish immediately from predators. Of those that make the journey to Lake Memphremagog, 18,000 return to spawn. The remainder assumed to be caught by fishermen.
Lists
Tributaries
The following dams are on tributaries that feed into the Clyde, and not the Clyde itself: Lake Seymour is on a tributary which drains into Echo Lake, which in turn drains into the Clyde. It is not used for hydroelectric power. Construction of the original dam was completed in 1928. The lake has a normal surface area of. It is owned by Great Bay Hydro Corporation. This dam is stone, and concrete. The core is concrete. The foundation is soil. Its height is by long. Maximum discharge is per second. The capacity is. Normal storage is. It drains an area of.
