Why is steam bank erosion an issue?
Why does stream bank erosion occur?
Why is sediment pollution important in this region?
Why does sediment pollution occur?

One of the largest threats to rivers and streams is the steam bank erosion that often occurs during and after heavy storms. Stream bank erosion also causes the loss of some of the best agricultural land and can severely damage roads and bridges.

Susceptibility to erosion can is can be attributed to many factors. Development of property immediately adjacent to the water is one problem, as are activities like mowing and vegetation clearing, which decrease the stability of vegetation that normally keeps stream banks intact. Vehicle and livestock access to banks and streams also can increase the risk of erosion. In addition, when streambeds are deepened, a steeper stream bank angle is created, further increasing the possibility of erosion.

A muddy, sediment-laden river is all too common in some Pennsylvanian regions, where prime brook trout habitat has been lost to stream bank erosion caused by overgrazing and deforestation. Sedimentation is, by volume, the state's largest pollutant of surface waters and usually is a result of erosion problems in upstream tributary watersheds.

Erosion of soil by wind and water is a natural process, but sediment pollution in our local streams is usually the product of accelerated erosion, which can come from any activity involving significant earth disturbance, such as crop planting and construction of buildings and roads. Sediment as a pollutant is harmful by itself and is even more so when combined with pesticides, fertilizers, or animal waste. Sediment deposited in streambeds smothers aquatic habitats, intereferes with nesting activities of aquatic life, and causes physiological damage to stream organisms. This process degrades water and habitat quality by negatively impacting the entire food chain. Sediment pollution can cause serious ecological and physical damage to streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and estuaries, as well as cost people cleanup money through taxes and lost revenue.

To see a list of precautions you can take to help prevent steam bank erosion, please visit http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/enved/EnviroEd/Can_Do/streambank.htm

To read more about stream bank erosion, please visit the following sites: http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/factsheets/muddy_waters.html
http://www.greenworks.tv/tvshow/water_quality/ourwatersheds.htm