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| sediment
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| Pronunciation: | |
| Definition : | Soil, sand, and minerals washed from land into water, usually after rain. |
| Facts: |
Sediment piles up in reservoirs, rivers and harbors, destroying fish and wildlife habitat, and clouding the water so that sunlight cannot reach aquatic plants. Careless farming, mining, and building activities will expose sediment materials, allowing them to wash off the land after rainfall. |
| References: | Definition from the EPA's online "Terms of the Environment" |