Vermilion River

The Vermilion River, also referred to as the Vermilion Bayou, is a meadering river that flows from North to South in a former channel of the ancestral Mississippi River.  It is approximately 45 minutes from where the river enters the Lafayette, Louisiana to Vermilion Bay at the Gulf of Mexico.

In the last 100 years the population in Lafayette has increased over 800%.  The population increase has had a direct impact on the Vermilion River that runs through the city of Lafayette and the people who live there.  The Vermilion has been a site of pollution and flooding problems that affect the river itself and the residents along the river.

Backswamps are much more apparent during flooding.  However, the lower portion of Louisiana has been experencing drought conditions and this picture shows one of the backswamps of the Vermilion River during this period.  Highway 353 is just off to the left of the picture and there is probably about 15 feet of elevation between the highway and the level of water seen here.

The photos show some of the rip-rap put down to prevent erosion of the cutbanks.  If you look closely at the piling of the bridge (picture on the left)  you can see how high the water has risen at this location during flooding.

This photo shows one of the many sites of drainage for the city of Lafayette.  In the 1970's the Vermilion was extremely polluted.  It's flow was almost none.  Since then several projects have come into effect to help cleanup the Vermilion and help it flow.  One such project is the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water Project which began in 1976.  There are two pumping stations just north of Lafayette Parish which now provide water into the river.

A plan of action referred to as the Bayou Vermilion Master Plan, has several projects associated with it to help keep the Vermilion clean and make it into a revenue-producing area.

The Vermilion is on its way to a brighter future.