The Vermillion River in southern Louisiana is a very slow-moving, sluggish tidal river. It also is the primary drainer of much of Lafayette Parish. So, the removal of the debris in the river but not the full dredging of it is a point of contention. And though there are no exclusive threatened or endangered fish unique only to the Vermilion (the endangered Pallid Sturgeon and Gulf Sturgeon primarily reside in swifter, larger systems like the Mississippi or Pearl rivers), the languid bayou-like body of water acts as a critical spawning and nursery ground for most of the freshwater and brackish water fish known to South Louisiana. Under federal frameworks, these slow streams are managed as vital sport and commercial habitats:
