Why Is Sediment Bad for Water Quality?
Sediment is bad for water quality because it is the result of a larger problem — Erosion. Erosion is the process by which water or wind detaches soil particles from their current location and moves them to other locations (Figure 8). Erosion is constantly occurring even in areas with protection such as vegetative cover. This is called natural erosion. The erosion we are mainly concerned with is that erosion caused by rainfall or runoff that contacts unprotected soil. This unprotected soil (usually due to and accelerated by man’s activities) is easily dislodged from its current location through splash erosion (Figure 9).
