Sediment input

With sediment to describe the entry of sediment into waters.

The sediment input into rivers is normally part of the natural morphology and does not pollute the aquatic fauna. Increased sediment input is often caused by human intervention in the water system. The connection to rain drainage or river straightening should be mentioned here, but other erosion-promoting effects can greatly increase the sand load of rivers. The effect of increased sediment input can cause silting or silting of the river bed.

Under natural conditions, the aquatic fauna usually finds a bed substrate that is stony to gravel in the mountains, sandy in middle areas and muddy in areas with only slight river gradients. Depending on the substrate, it can serve as a hiding place and habitat for the typical fish, mussel or insect species. Changes in the substrate can therefore have significant effects on the entire fauna of a river.

A distinction is essentially made between punctual and diffuse sediment input.

The selective sediment input refers to individual sediment sources such as rainwater discharges or bank vegetation destroyed by cattle kicking.

With diffuse sediment to describe the sediment is not attributable to individual sources, but the steady increase in the sand cargo on the route of a stream.