Little Vermilion River (Illinois River tributary)

The Little Vermilion River is a 34.7 mi tributary of the Illinois River, which it joins near LaSalle, Illinois, opposite the north-flowing Vermilion River. 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 acre) of the land in the watershed is devoted to agricultural activities, primarily corn (36943 acre) and soybean (22332 acre) production. Native wetlands account for 0.5% (434 acre) of land in the watershed.

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.