When I started working at WAC, I didn't understand that soil = water pollution. I've learned a lot in the past year and half. Now when I see a scene like this one along the Batavia Kill in Windham, NY, I know the sediment (another word for soil particles) entering the river from the non-forested side is hurting water quality in many ways :sick: :
- Sediment in the water absorbs heat and raises the water temp, which reduces dissolved oxygen and harms aquatic life.
- Nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorous) stick to soil particles and increase algae growth, which harms other lifeforms.
- Cloudy water blocks sunlight to underwater plants and makes it harder for fish to see - and catch! - their food.
- Sediment gets stuck in animals' gills and clogs up the nooks and crannies in stream beds where aquatic creatures live and reproduce.