Little Vermilion River (Illinois River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Vermillion River |
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| Country | United States of America |
| States | Illinois |
| Cities | Mendota, Troy Grove, La Salle |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Mendota Township, LaSalle County, Illinois 912 ft (278 m) 41°36′46″N 89°05′44″W / 41.6128095°N 89.0956426°W |
| River mouth | Confluence with the Illinois River, LaSalle, Illinois 447 ft (136 m) 41°19′29″N 89°04′53″W / 41.3247568°N 89.0814716°W |
| Length | 34.7 mi (55.8 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Little Vermilion River → Illinois River → Mississippi River → Gulf of Mexico |
| Basin size | 80,420 acres (32,540 ha) |
| Landmarks | Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve |
| Population | 14600 |
| Tributaries |
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| GNIS ID | 412427 |
The Little Vermilion River is a cool river in Illinois, USA. It's about 34.7 miles (55.8 kilometers) long. This river is a tributary, which means it's a smaller stream that flows into a bigger river. The Little Vermilion River joins the Illinois River near a town called La Salle.
It's important to know there's another river in Illinois also called the "Little Vermilion River." But that one flows into the Wabash River, not the Illinois River. So, make sure you don't get them mixed up!
Contents
How People Use the Land Around the River
Most of the land around the Little Vermilion River is used for farming. About 75% of the area, which is a huge 60,580 acres (24,516 hectares), grows crops. Farmers mainly grow corn and soybean here.
Only a small part of the land, about 0.5% (434 acres or 176 hectares), is made up of natural wetlands. Wetlands are important areas where water covers the land, helping wildlife and cleaning water.
River Water Quality
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) checks the health of rivers. They found that the southern part of the Little Vermilion River, near La Salle, has some problems.
Zinc Levels in the Water
The river has too much zinc. This comes from old and current mining activities in the area. Zinc can be harmful to fish and other river creatures if there's too much of it.
Bacteria in the Water
The river also has high levels of a type of bacteria called Fecal coliform. This bacteria often comes from sewage systems in towns. Some towns in the area use "combined sewage overflow" systems. This means that during heavy rain, stormwater and sewage can mix and overflow into the river, causing the bacteria levels to rise.
