It is necessary to isolate the various processes of accelerated sediment loadings in order to identify relative source contributions and to appropriately prescribe effective and practical mitigation. Not all land uses that present a high risk for sediment problems occur on unstable lands, nor are they necessarily associated with poor practices. Thus, it is necessary to identify and inventory the locations, nature, and extent of land uses that allow for an initial assessment of potential sediment source problems. The assessment analyst must know
- how various land use practices affect sediment production;
- how increased sediment is generated;
- whether or not stream systems can accommodate sediment increases/decreases; and
- the consequences of changes in sediment and sediment related processes. The assessment methodology is designed to provide the tools to help answer these questions.
The discussion on the following pages provides a detailed summary of key principles associated with sediment sources and natural channel processes. For easy reference to specific subsections, use the links to the topics listed in the box to the right.
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