Page 9 - Water Pollution Management - Silty Water - Environmental Impact

How silty water affects a water course

• A 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) increase in turbidity in a clear water
lake may reduce the productive volume of that lake by about 80%

• A 25 NTU increase in a clear water stream 0.5 m deep may reduce plant
production by approximately 50% (Lloyd et al. 1987)

• A 5 NTU increase in turbidity in a clear stream 0.5 m deep may reduce
primary production by 13% or more, depending on stream depth

Environmental Harm

• Can suffocate fish by blocking gills

• Can strip out dissolved oxygen

• Prevent sunlight penetrating the water

• Settle out on the bed of the river

• Blind off of gravel beds

• Combine with other contaminants

johnfhuntregeneration.co.uk +44(0)1375 366 700 info@johnfhuntregeneration.co.uk