Properties adjacent to damaged water bodies can see their value affected. Dredging ponds and lakes and restoring stream channels are costly and labor intensive. Turbidity (muddiness) from the sediment impairs in-stream photosynthesis thus reducing the aquatic food supply and habitat. Excessive sediment blankets the stream bottom destroying the fish and other living organisms on the stream bed. Algae reduce water clarity, deplete oxygen, kill fish, and produce unpleasant odors. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous that are attached to the sediment trigger algae blooms in ponds and lakes. Sediment can be detrimental to the environment. Sediment is the term used to describe soil that has moved from one place to another. When the flow of water slows down, the soil particles settle out as sediment. Precipitation picks up the loose soil particles, which then get carried away in the runoff on its way to our lakes, streams, and rivers. When land is stripped of grass, trees, and other plants, the soil becomes exposed and loose. What is sediment and how does sediment cause damage to our properties and natural resources? Go to Land Conservation Awards for Excellence in Erosion and Sediment Controls. Go to the Fairfax County Erosion and Sediment Control Checklist. While sediment comes from several sources including eroding stream banks, of particular concern is the amount of sediment escaping from construction sites. There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the damage caused by sediment on our lakes, streams, and rivers.
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