siltation
Waterway sediment buildup
Siltation is the process by which bodies of water become clogged or filled with silt—fine sediment carried by water and deposited when flow slows.
Rivers, reservoirs, and harbors are particularly vulnerable, as accumulated sediment reduces depth and water capacity.
Siltation has rendered the old port unusable for large vessels.
The term appears frequently in environmental and engineering contexts, where preventing or managing siltation is an ongoing challenge for maintaining waterways and irrigation systems.
Of river-mouth landforms
- fluvialRelating to rivers
- estuarineOf river mouths
- alluvialDeposited by moving water
- riverineOf or by streams
floodplain · meander · oxbow · channel · basin · catchment · watershed · tributary
Moldable earth for ceramics
- sandFine rock particles
- alluviumWater-deposited loose sediment
- loamFertile soil mixture
- gravelLoose small rock fragments
suspended particles · mud · sedimentary · particulate · colloid · organic matter · runoff · soil erosion
Particles settling in liquid
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- erosionGradual wearing away
- turbidityCloudiness from suspended particles
settling · accumulation · infilling · clogging · buildup · flocculation · compaction · stratification
Water-saturated terrain
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- turbidityCloudiness from suspended particles
- fish spawningAquatic egg-laying process
mangrove · marsh · water quality · algal bloom · benthic · hypoxia · invasive species · restoration
deltaic
Of river-mouth landforms
riverine · floodplain · meander · oxbow · channel · basin · catchment · watershed · tributary · confluence
clay
Moldable earth for ceramics
gravel · suspended particles · mud · sedimentary · particulate · colloid · organic matter · runoff · soil erosion · loess
sedimentation
Particles settling in liquid
- depositionFormal testimony under oath
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- erosionGradual wearing away
turbidity · settling · accumulation · infilling · clogging · buildup · flocculation · compaction · stratification
wetlands
Water-saturated terrain
- habitat lossElimination of living spaces
- eutrophicationExcess nutrients depleting oxygen
- turbidityCloudiness from suspended particles
fish spawning · mangrove · marsh · water quality · algal bloom · benthic · hypoxia · invasive species · restoration
dredging
Extracting underwater sediment
canal · navigation · channelization · culvert · intake · spillway · aqueduct · lock · marina · retention pond
siltationerosion
Gradual wearing away
scouring · dredging · desilting · flushing · downcutting