Little Vermillion River
Location
CountryUnited States of America
StatesIllinois
Cities Mendota, Troy Grove, La Salle
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationMendota Township, LaSalle County, Illinois
  coordinates41°36′46″N 89°05′44″W / 41.6128095°N 89.0956426°W / 41.6128095; -89.0956426 (Little Vermilion River origin)
  elevation912 ft (278 m)
Mouth 
  location
Confluence with the Illinois River, LaSalle, Illinois
  coordinates
41°19′29″N 89°04′53″W / 41.3247568°N 89.0814716°W / 41.3247568; -89.0814716 (Little Vermilion River mouth)
  elevation
447 ft (136 m)
Length34.7 mi (55.8 km)
Basin size80,420 acres (32,540 ha)[1]
Basin features
ProgressionLittle Vermilion River → Illinois RiverMississippi RiverGulf of Mexico
LandmarksMitchell's Grove Nature Preserve
Population14600
Tributaries 
  leftTomahawk Creek
  rightMendota Creek
GNIS ID412427


The Little Vermilion River is a 34.7-mile-long (55.8 km)[2] tributary of the Illinois River, which it joins near LaSalle, Illinois, opposite the north-flowing Vermilion River.[3] There is another "Little Vermilion River" in Illinois which is a tributary of the Wabash River.

Land Use

Approximately 75% of the land (60,580 acres (24,520 ha)) of the land in the watershed is devoted to agricultural activities, primarily corn (36,943 acres (14,950 ha)) and soybean (22,332 acres (9,037 ha)) production. Native wetlands account for 0.5% (434 acres (176 ha)) of land in the watershed.[1]

Water Quality

An EPA report lists the southern section near La Salle, Illinois as impaired waterway due to excessive zinc from current and historic mining operations. It is also listed for elevated fecal coliform bacteria levels due to the use of combined sewage overflow systems in use by several municipalities within the watershed.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 CDM Smith (2014-11-01). Little Vermilion River (LaSalle County) Watershed TMDL Stage 1 Report (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map Archived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed May 13, 2011
  3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Vermilion River


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