Secondary
Impacts
Many of the impacts from sedimentation are direct and/or immediately observable, such as, increased turbidity, reduced oxygen levels, and a reduction in fisheries. Other impacts are less visible but no less damaging to the river. Backwater lakes are filling in at an alarming pace, mussel populations have been decimated, and as a result, waterfowl populations have plummeted.
It is important to understand the consequences of soil erosion and the subsequent sedimentation. This examination begins with a brief discussion of sedimentation followed by an exploration of the impacts to backwater lakes, mussels, and waterfowl.
