Sediments are a natural part of river ecosystems, and many organisms depend on them for spawning, habitat, or capturing prey. However, large sediment loads can adversely affect ecosystem health. Sediment transport studies can be used to establish baseline sediment concentrations and monitor for acute and long-term changes.
Turbidity measurement is commonly accepted as a surrogate for sediment monitoring because it is convenient and relatively simple. However, some cases may call for more precise measurement of sediment concentrations. For these situations, real-time monitoring systems for total suspended solids (TSS) or suspended sediment concentration (SSC) are available.
Dredging done correctly doesn’t hurt water quality, and can yield positive environmental results. However, ensuring these good results demands monitoring for contaminant release, sediment resuspension, and other water quality issues.
