Like cities and towns everywhere, the communities in the Bayou Vermilion Watershed are faced with the challenge of maintaining their fiscal health while also protecting the environment, their agricultural base and their unique characters. Bayou Vermilion District was established and funded by Lafayette Parish tax dollars to provide all of the above. The Bayou Operations staff facilitates removal of trash and debris from the waterway and provides consistent water sampling in cooperation with Lafayette Utilities System which performs the testing for purity. Additionally, Bayou Vermilion District oversees the maintenance and opening and closing of five parks in Lafayette Parish. Four are boat launches, enhancing use of the Bayou for business and recreational purposes. The fifth park is Vermilionville, the Cajun and Creole Folklife and Heritage Park along the banks of the Vermilion Bayou, representing the lifestyle of Acadian settlers during the historic period from 1765 to 1890. Bayou Vermilion District 's goal is to maintain, grow, educate and enchance life along the Bayou Vermilion for each of the residents of Acadiana, and to present a view of this area's best in recreation and history to those who come to vist from all over the world.