Sediment
Sediment is made up of tiny bits of sand, silt and clay. It is a natural part of the Chesapeake Bay. It is made by the wearing down of rocks and soil. If there is too much, sediment can cloud the waters of the Bay , harming underwater grasses, fish and shellfish
There are two big sources of sediment. One is watershed sources, which come from eroding land and stream banks. The other is called tidal sources of sediment. This comes from eroding shores and coasts.
When people clear trees and plants from land, the soil erodes. It washes away into streams and into the Bay. People building houses often clear away all of the trees and other plants. This means that construction causes sediment to go into the Bay.
Around 5.2 million tons of sediment enter the Chesapeake Bay in an average year. The sediment
When sediment flows into the Bay, it makes the water cloudy. Plants that grow on the bottom of the Bay don't get enough light. Then they die. That means there is less oxygen in the water. The fish and shellfish have less oxygen to breathe. Some of them die.
The plants also give young fish, crabs, oysters, and other organisms protection. So, when the plants die, the young organisms die, too. That means fewer fish, crabs, and oysters in the Bay.
Too much sediment can smother oysters and other organisms that live on the bottom of the Bay. Since oysters are so important for filtering the Bay's water, this can affect other organisms, too.
Some sediment is contaminated. That means it has something poisonous or dangerous in it. Fish and shellfish can absorb the poison. Then, when people catch the fish or shellfish, they will eat the poison. So this is a problem that affects people as well as wildlife.
Too much sediment can also make it hard for boats to travel. People who make their living fishing or crabbing are affected as well. People who travel on the Bay are affected. If there is enough sediment, then big ships that move goods from place to place can be affected. That would mean that some people would lose their jobs.
What can people do to stop the sediment from smothering the Bay? You can make sure you have trees and grass planted where you live. People can write to their government representatives and ask for strict construction rules. If construction companies had to be careful about letting sediment go into streams, there would be less sediment in the Bay. Some schools start rain gardens to cut down on sediment in the Bay.
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