What causes water degradation?
A healthy river or estuary is comprised of a number of different factors, including water flow, biodiversity, sedimentation, turbidity and water quality. When the system is in good condition, all of these factors are in balance and the rest of the catchment or marine environment are also in better condition. When any of these factors are thrown out of balance through inappropriate land use, the entire system is affected. To use just one example, farming practices that cause erosion on the land can also cause large amounts of earth to be spilt into the catchment s river system. This excess sediment affects how well the water flows and can increase the muddiness of the water (turbidity). When the water is muddier and doesn t flow as fast, the amount of light that filters through the water can change and so can the nutrient balance. In turn, this may mean that native plants and animals can t thrive but some introduced or toxic species can. In this scenario, a single land-use choice affect
