Sediment Pollution

What is sediment? Sediment comes from the erosion of rocks and soil. Pieces of sand, clay, silt, and soil come loose from the movement of water due to human intervention or weather events. These particles are carried through streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean. This sedimentation affects the quality of our drinking water and wildlife environments.

 
 

  • Sediment pollution can have long-term impacts on aquatic insects, fish and other wildlife in affected waterways. It clouds water so animals cannot see food sources. Suspended particles block light and affect growth of aquatic plants. It settles on the stream bottom and impacts habitat for important aquatic insects– which are a crucial food source in healthy trout streams. Sediment can smother insect larvae and fish eggs and destroy the spawning areas for fish. In the worst cases it can even clog fish gills or kill fish.

  • Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and other soil particles that settle at the bottom of a body of water. Sediment can come from soil erosion or from the decomposition of plants and animals. Wind, water and ice help carry these particles to rivers, lakes and streams.

    The most concentrated sediment releases come from construction activities, including relatively minor home-building projects such as room additions and swimming pools.

    While natural erosion produces nearly 30 percent of the total sediment in the United States, accelerated erosion from human use of land accounts for the remaining 70 percent.

  • Sediment entering stormwater degrades the quality of water for drinking, wildlife and the land surrounding streams in the following ways:

    • Water polluted with sediment becomes cloudy, preventing animals from seeing food.

    • Murky water prevents natural vegetation from growing in water.

    • Sediment in stream beds disrupts the natural food chain by destroying the habitat where the smallest stream organisms live and causing massive declines in fish populations.

    • Sediment increases the cost of treating drinking water and can result in odor and taste problems.

    • Sediment deposits in rivers can alter the flow of water and reduce water depth, which makes navigation and recreational use more difficult.

 

What You Can Do

  • In your home.

    Sweep or blow sidewalks and driveways : instead of hosing them off. Washing these areas results in sediment and other pollutants running off into streams and stormwater systems.

    Use mulch : when reseeding bare spots on your lawn, and use a straw erosion control blanket in restarting or tilling a lawn.

    Leave some space : avoid mowing within 10-25 feet from the edge of a stream or creek. This will create a safe buffer zone that will help minimize erosion and stormwater runoff that may contain sediment.

    Don’t wash your car in the driveway : either wash your car at a commercial car wash or on a surface that absorbs water such as grass or gravel.

  • On your farm.

    Ensuring Year-Round Ground Cover : Farmers can plant cover crops or perennial species to prevent periods of bare ground on farm fields when the soil (and the soil and nutrients it contains) are most susceptible to erosion and loss into waterway

    Planting Field Buffers : Farmers can plant trees, shrubs and grasses along the edges of fields; this is especially important for a field that borders water bodies. Planted buffers can help prevent nutrient loss from fields by absorbing or filtering out pollutants before they reach a water body.

    Implementing Conservation Tillage : Farmers can reduce how often and how intensely the fields are tilled. Doing so can help to improve soil health, and reduce erosion, runoff and soil compaction, and therefore the chance of pollutants reaching waterways through runoff.

  • In your classroom.

    Teachers and students : can learn about and work to reduce sediment pollution in their communities. Teachers should check out the menu at the top of this page to access lesson plans, classroom activities, and outdoor activities.

    The ETEE : can help get you in contact with local environmental educators that are already established in your community and provide support if you have any questions.

    email: ETEEcontact@gmail.com