Water quality of the Upper Vermilion River, Louisiana, April-August 1980

Abstract:
Analyses of water-quality data collected during 1980 in a reach of the Vermilion River from its headwaters to a point 6 miles downstream from Lafayette, La. indicate that nonpoint runoff from the upper basin is a major factor in depressed dissolved-oxygen concentrations, high biochemical oxygen demand, and elevated fecal-bacteria concentrations. High flows masked the contributions of point and nonpoint sources in the Lafayette urban area. When flow lessened, waste inputs from the urban area degraded the water quality in the stagnant reach downstream from Lafayette, primarily through accumulations of nutrients, organic carbon, and biochemical oxygen demand. Changes in benthic macroinvertebrate populations and in algal dominance downstream from Lafayette suggest that discharges in the area have a detrimental impact on the already poor water quality of the Vermilion River during periods of low or zero flow. Samples were collected on an event basis from April through August 1980 and analyzed for inorganic substances, metals, pesticides and other organic compounds, nutrients, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal bacteria, phytoplankton, and benthic invertebrates.

Citation: Demcheck, D. K. and H. L. Leone (1983). Water quality of the Upper Vermilion River, Louisiana, April-August 1980. In cooperation with the Louisiana. Dept. of Public Works. Water resources. Technical Report number 30 (TR-30), Baton Rouge, LA.

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LY7YCO9Ul25uXICY0IZwzt68YkBqsbEY/view?usp=sharing
(Note: a copy available from USGS at http://la.water.usgs.gov/publications/pdfs/TR30.pdf  is missing pages 1, 16, 17, and the site map. I scanned these missing pages into the shared Google document).

Site map (best available image)

The chemistry of the Vermilion River and its bottom sediments in an area south of Lafayette, Louisiana: A reconnaissance study

Abstract:
The objectives of this study were to examine the river water chemistry and bottom sediment chemistry and determine the chemical effects of bottom sediment in overlying Vermilion River water. This study is significant as dredging to control local flooding in the area is common in the Vermilion River, and metals within the bottom sediment are often released with serious effects to the river water chemistry.

River water and/or bottom sediment samples were collected south of Lafayette, Louisiana: 1) at Vermilionville; 2) north of Abbeville; 3) south of Abbeville; 4) north of Intracoastal City; 5) at Intracoastal City. River water samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) techniques. High concentrations of Ca2- were observed upstream and are possibly associated with construction activities and potential wastewater input at the time of sampling. Bottom sediment samples were analyzed for clay mineralogy using x-ray diffraction (XRD); results indicated that the mineralogy paralleled that of the Mississippi River and smectites were dominant. Additional bottom sediment samples were analyzed for whole rock composition and trace metal content using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Both barium and zinc concentrations increased north of Intracoastal City, possibly due to drilling mud contamination.


To study the impact of bottom sediment metals on river water, both Vermilion River water and sediment chemistry were examined in perturbation experiments during a 24-hour period. Results from the perturbation experiments indicated an increase in metal concentrations in the perturbed river water and in mixtures of perturbed river water and bottom sediment when compared with unperturbed river water concentrations. The increased concentrations of Mn2+ and Fe2 during perturbation experiments are attributed to release of reduced pore water metals.

Citation: Mulvihill, Anna M. (2003). The chemistry of the Vermilion River and its bottom sediments in an area south of Lafayette, Louisiana: A reconnaissance study. MS, Geology, The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Advisor: Renee Clary, 106 pages.

URL: Not available online, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Library LD 3091.L665 2003 mulv

Industrial and Sewage Pollution of the Vermilion River Near Lafayette, Louisiana - R.H. Kilgen (1966)

Abstract: The purposes of this study were: (1) to determine the intensity of sewage and industrial pollution in the Vermilion River, located in South-Central Louisiana; (2) to evaluate this information in relation to time of the year and location at which samples were taken; and (3) to determine the sanitary and ecological significance of the various measurements of pollution.

Oxygen concentrations were usually below acceptable levels, but reached acceptable levels during cooler months.

Chemical oxygen demand values complemented those of dissolved oxygen, to indicate the presence of a large quantity of decomposing organic matter.

Highest chloride concentrations occurred near Vermilion Bay. High concentrations at other locations were probably caused mainly by sewage effluents.

Alkalinities were generally lower than optimum.

The pH of the river was within acceptable limits.

Salinity paralleled chloride fluctuations. The salinity was often too high for irrigation purposes. The river was usually limnetic (fresh-water), but at times was mixo-oligohaline.

Conductivity was usually not optimum for a varied fish fauna.

Seasonal changes in temperature were observed. The temperature was not high or low enough to be lethal to aquatic organisms.

No pattern of increase or decrease in color of the water could be detected among stations or dates.

Turbidity was generally low, except following heavy rains.

High counts of coliform bacteria indicated sewage pollution. Concentrations within and immediately below Lafayette exhibited highest coliform densities.

Pollution in the Vermilion River was due to a combination of sewage effluents, industrial wastes, agricultural land drainage, oil-field wastes, and barnyard run-off. The river was most heavily polluted near and immediately downstream from Lafayette.

Citation: Kilgen, R. H. (1966). Industrial and Sewage Pollution of the Vermilion River Near Lafayette, Louisiana. M.S., University of Southwestern Louisiana.

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QT5QGgiTFP_62RlEmyE7adlVLsa8FvGC/view?usp=sharing

Early Data from the Surrey Street gage

Abstract: Available digital data for USGS site 07386880 may be accessed from the Internet using the USGS Waterdata web site. Currently no digital data for this site are available prior to 1983, and some data after that date may be missing. Earlier data are available only in hard copy USGS reports of Louisiana data. Following a data request to USGS for copies of these earlier data, Scott Perrien in April 2018 provided scanned jpg images of the relevant pages from past reports. In this document those images have been organized into a single pdf document. This effort and assistance by Scott Perrien and the USGS are gratefully acknowledged.

Citation: No citation is required. However, the link below to the pdf document may be freely shared. Acknowledgement of the USGS by users of this document is encouraged.

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tKh1P4J_lidfcmiErQpODM5yRt4bw1p3/view?usp=sharing

Hydrologic features and processes of the Vermilion River

Abstract: The hydrology of the Vermilion River is affected by the climate, the
geographic features of the basin, the diversion of water from other basins
into the river, the physical characteristics and configuration of drainage
channels, and the actions of tides and winds. The river is a coastal stream
that flows through the relict deltaic deposits of the Atchafalaya and Red
Rivers. Water from the Vermilion River is used primarily for rice irrigation
and for the dilution of municipal and industrial effluents.

Prior to flow augmentation from the Atchafalaya River, low discharges
were frequent in the Vermilion River. Operation of a pumping plant has
increased discharge during low flow and decreased discharge during high flow.
Although the Vermilion River is a highly regulated stream, it still exhibits
variable flow.

Variable discharges in the Vermilion River are caused, in part, by the
effects of tides and winds. Nearly every reach of the river is affected by
tides. Diurnal, semidiurnal, and mixed tides occur, but the diurnal tide is
the most dominant pattern. Tidal range in the downstream reaches generally
is between 1 and 2 feet. Sustained northerly winds can significantly lower
river elevation, and sustained southerly winds can significantly raise river
elevation, in the downstream reaches.

Incoming tides in the downstream reaches tend to stagnate flow and
reduce reaeration coefficients. Reaeration coefficients, calculated for
measurements made August 6, 1985, ranged from 0.038 per day in the downstream
reaches to 0.723 per day in the upstream reaches. Reaeration potential is
reduced in the downstream reaches by incoming tides. Computation of
reaeration coefficients for average conditions is difficult because stream
velocities are extremely variable. Additional studies are needed to
determine velocities, flow patterns, average reaeration coefficients, and
frequency and duration of high and low discharges to more completely define
the hydrology of the Vermilion River.


Citation: Baker, N. T. (1988). Hydrologic features and processes of the Vermilion River, Louisiana. Baton Rouge, La., Dept. of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Water-resources investigations report 88-4019.

URL: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/wri884019

Grids & Datums: Elevations in South Louisiana

Abstract: During the summer of 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District asked me to write answers for some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for their Engineering Staff. These answers are specifically targeted toward the problem of using elevations in a rapidly-subsiding region that had been devastated by the Katrina and Rita hurricanes of 2005. Rebuilding efforts are directly dependent on an understanding of the inherent problems in the reliable determination of current elevations referenced to our National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) for South Louisiana. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – New Orleans District covers an area that is approximately the southern half of the state, from the City of Alexandria, Louisiana south to the coast, and from the Mississippi State Line to the Texas State Line.

Citation: Mugnier, C.J. (2006) “Grids & Datums: Elevations in South Louisiana” Photogrammetric
Engineering & Remote Sensing, September 2006, p 1001-1004.

URL: http://www.asprs.org/a/resources/grids/09-2006-louisiana.pdf

Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Flood Control: Reconnaissance Report, June 1995

Abstract: This report presents the findings· of a reconnaissance-level investigation of rainfall flooding associated with storm water runoff and high river stages along the Vermilion River in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. The study was conducted as an interim study under the Mermentau, Vermilion, and Calcasieu Rivers and Bayou Teche, Louisiana study authority. The parent study was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944; the River and Harbor Act of 1945; and four separate resolutions of the Committee on Public Works of the United States House of Representatives adopted in 1964, 1966, 1968,and 1970.

The study area is located in southern Louisiana and encompasses all of Lafayette Parish. The urban flood control study efforts concentrated on problem areas identified by the study team using input from Parish officials, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) repetitive damage data, and historical flooding information.

The reconnaissance study investigated potential solutions to prevent flooding in Lafayette Parish caused by heavy rainfall and high stages on the Vermilion River. Impacts on adjacent parishes, as a result of proposed solutions, were considered. Alternative measures that were evaluated during this study
include: diversion of flood waters; retention/ detention basins; channel modifications; removal of channel obstructions; levees and pump stations; flood control structures; and other non-structural alternatives. Existing computer models developed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), previous hydraulic computer output, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood insurance studies and prior flood studies of the study area, and historical flood records were utilized to establish existing conditions.

Two structural alternatives and non-structural measures (flood proofing) were determined economically and environmentally feasible to reduce the magnitude of flood damages in Lafayette Parish. The identification of feasible plans warrant proceeding to the feasibility phase of the study.

Citation: US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District (1995) Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Flood Control: Reconnaissance Report. June 1995, 256 pages.

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16qOFbK7NpTFj6PzLPObfapsIBiSDy6c6/view