Vermilion Soil and Water Conservation District, 3221 Veterans Memorial Drive, Suite H, Abbeville, LA  70510 337-893-5664 ext. 3
Vermilion Soil & Water Conservation District (VSWCD), the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, along with other federal, state, regional and local partners, have begun the Environmental Assessment of a proposed Watershed Plan to address the ongoing flooding and hydrologic restoration of the Lower Vermilion River Watershed.
 
The purpose of developing a Watershed Plan for the Lower Vermilion River Basin is to study and identify solutions to mitigate and reduce saline storm surge and other flood damage to farms, homes, and businesses, while also enhancing public safety and improving overall water quality and preserving wetland habitat in the area.
 
Saline storm surge and annual flooding has devastated low-lying areas of Vermilion Parish over the past decades. This damage has negatively impacted farmers, residents and business owners, as well as diminished the potential for future land use and reinvestment in the area. As a result, VSWCD and other stakeholders have identified four potential hydrologic restoration Alternatives to mitigate annual flooding and help to reestablish public safety, productive farmland, viable wetlands and overall water quality in the area.
 
These Alternatives will be subjected to an Environmental Assessment process to document and evaluate the environmental, cultural and economic impacts of each option. Over the next 18 months, the public will be invited to provide input on the preliminary Watershed Plan and Environmental Assessment of studied Alternatives. VSWCD has selected Bluewing Civil Consulting, LLC as its consulting partner to lead this process.
Additional websites of interest:  Chamber of Commerce - www.vermilionchamber.org
                                                       Bayou Vermilion Preservation Association - www.bayouvermilionpreservation.org
                                                       LSU AgCenter - www.lsuagcenter.com
                                                       Natural Resource Conservation Service - www.nrcs.usda.gov 
                                                       Vermilion Parish School Board - www.vrml.k12.la.us 
                                                       Vermilion Parish Police Jury - www.vermilionpairshpolicejury.com