Little Vermilion, Illinois, US |
|
| Usual Difficulty | I-II(III) (varies with level) |
|---|---|
| Length | 6.5 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 17 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 26 fpm |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG BUREAU CREEK AT PRINCETON, IL | ||||
| usgs-05556500 | 300 - 2250 cfs | I-II(III) | 29d22h21m | ~ 333 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) |
Likely 200-600 cfs. Likely low-to moderate flows. Little Vermilion flows may be roughly 2/3 the listed flow for Big Bureau Creek. (Correlation is not assured.) |
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Quick Facts:
Location: NorthCentral IL, North of LaSalle, running into LaSalle.
Shuttle Length: 6 miles. (See details in "Directions" Tab.)
Character: Mostly a 'rural' feel (except as passing under I80, and while alongside massive quarry
operation). Mostly open stream, with playwaves and a mini-canyon.
Drainage: 125 sq.mi. (at former gauge site near take-out).
Put-in is approximately 565' elevation.
Take-out is approximately 450' elevation.
Thus total elevation change is approximately 115'.
General Overview
Google Maps has excellent resolution aerials of this reach. We highly recommend going to the
"Map" tab, clicking 'Satellite', double clicking near (not on, but near) the icon
marking the mini-canyon, zooming to the maximum resolution (without losing image), and doing a
'virtual tour' to 'walk' down the reach. (There's not a lot to see above the mini-canyon, and
satellite resolution fails the first half-mile of the run.)
Please respect privacy of property owner at put-in. Launch close to bridge.
This creek has a bit more substantial watershed than some of the other listed creeks in the area
(Bailey, Cedar, Covel, Spring, Tomahawk), so has a better chance of being runnable. When 'up', it
makes a fine companion piece for the commonly boated section on the main Vermilion.
Numerous small playwaves, and a class III triple-drop 'canyon'. Scouting Canyon Rapids is
advisable, as it almost always has at least one strainer. Be alert for poison ivy on shore. Air
quality (and water quality) can be 'iffy', as there is some quarrying and other heavy industry
nearby.
Check out a short video (from YouTube) in the 'mini canyon':
The best gauge is on-site visual using a boater's gauge on the upstream face of the center pier of the first bridge south of I-80.
0.5' - minimum
1.5'-2.5' - optimum
4.0' - high
*The USGS gauge listed (for Big Bureau Creek at Princeton) may be used as a guide for possible runnability, since it may catch some of the same storm paths. That gauge lies about 24 miles almost due west of this run. Drainage area of the Little Vermilion at La Salle, very near the take-out for this run (thus including a few tributaries which contribute flow not present at the put-in) is 125 square miles. Drainage area of Big Bureau Creek at the gauge cited (at Princeton) is 196 square miles. Therefore, on average, one might expect flows on the Little V to be a bit under 2/3 (actually the ratio is 0.637755) the flow of the gauge cited.
Listed 'minimum' (300 cfs on Bureau Creek gauge, theoretically about 200 cfs on the Little V) is likely to indicate runnable levels. The listed 'maximum' (2250 cfs on Big Bureau, theoretically near 1500 on Little V) is likely to indicate levels 'above the norm'. While most of the Little V will be runnable to higher levels, the 'canyon' will become quite 'meaty', likely being a portage for many paddlers.
By the way, there may be a tendency to try to correlate runnability of the Little Vermilion with that of the (main) Vermilion. While the (main) Vermilion is often likely to be runnable when the Little V is, in general the gauges are not likely to actually correlate very well. The bulk of the watershed for the Vermilion is well to the east and south, and will often catch much different storm paths. Thus, Big Bureau should provide a somewhat more accurate correlation to the 'Little V'.
| Gauge/flow analysis (for Big Bureau Creek), using data from 1936-03-01 to 2008-10-24 | |
| Minimum mean daily flow during stated period | 0 cfs (1953, 1940) |
| 90% of time flow exceeds | 3.3 cfs |
| 10% of time flow exceeds | 330 cfs |
| Maximum mean daily flow during stated period | 8,730 cfs (1994.06.24) |
| 10/90 ratio ('flashy-ness') (under 3 is fairly steady, over 10 is quite 'flashy') |
100.9 |
| Average days per year over recommended 'low' threshold ( 300 cfs) | 42 |
| Average days per year over recommended 'high' threshold ( 2250 cfs) | 1.66 |
| Name | Range | Difficulty | Updated | Level | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIG BUREAU CREEK AT PRINCETON, IL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| usgs-05556500 | 300 - 2250 cfs | I-II(III) | 29d22h21m | ~ 333 cfs (rc= 0.0 ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Likely 200-600 cfs. Likely low-to moderate flows. |
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|
Little Vermilion flows may be roughly 2/3 the listed flow for Big Bureau Creek. (Correlation is not assured.) |
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| When | River/Gauge | Subject | Level | Reporter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Vermilion [IL] |
Joe C. on the Little V.
|
n/a | Brandon Royer | |
| 1y335d19h50m | @Little Vermilion N3179 Rd to I&M Canal (Canal St/Rockwell Rd, La Salle) (6.5 m [IL] |
Last drop of canyon
|
high runnable | Bix Bix |
| 1y335d20h50m | @Little Vermilion N3179 Rd to I&M Canal (Canal St/Rockwell Rd, La Salle) (6.5 m [IL] |
Downstream of canyon
|
high runnable | Bix Bix |
| 2y300d01h41m | @Little Vermilion N3179 Rd to I&M Canal (Canal St/Rockwell Rd, La Salle) (6.5 m [IL] |
4-18-09
|
550 cfs | Bix Bix |
| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | minor rock garden | N/A | |
| 4.4 | Triple Drop 'Mini-canyon' | III+ |  |
| 4.8 | old weir/dam | II |  |
About 0.1 mile after passing under a private bridge (to a quarry), the river bends to the left. Get out to scout the mini-canyon from river left. (Watch out for poison ivy!) There are three short drops in quick succession. At high water, this can be a real handful.
reach
state
reachlink
N3179 Rd to I&M Canal (Canal St/Rockwell Rd, La Salle) (6.5 miles), Little Vermilion Illinois, US (mobile)
User Comments
scenic and a sweet Mini Canyon. Check ou the mini-canyon vid here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMb1h9j9MSw
rattlesnake. I was only three feet from it and rattlesnakes can go in the water. Thanks for the
suggestion though. Edit
1000.
list of snakes in IL by County. http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/animals_plants/herps/counties/lasalle.html Edit
eddy once. Ande Meyer Edit
comment see u on the river chad 815 481 2211 Edit