Please direct all questions and comments to Dr. Christian De Kimpe Sediments Sediments generally consist of soil particles that enter water as a result of soil erosion.
Erosion is a process by which soil is moved from one area to another.
Although this process occurs naturally, agriculture can accelerate it by removing the natural vegetation that protects the soil and replacing it with cultivated crops, which leave more soil exposed to the elements altering the soil's structure so that it can absorb less water and is more prone to erosion. When soil is moved into water bodies, it can significantly alter the quality of that water. Water moving along the soil's surface picks up soil particles, especially fine ones, and carries them to watercourses. The muddy brown colour of rivers sometimes seen during spring snowmelt and after heavy summer rainfall provides a vivid picture of the magnitude of sediment loadings of surface waters. After such events, the turbidity of lakes, rivers, and streams can be high enough to lower the water's fitness for drinking and make it less suitable for aquatic plants and animals.