Sediment is solid material that is moved and deposited in a new location. It can consist of rocks, minerals, as well as the remains of plants and animals
. Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles
. It can range in size from small, pea-sized gravel to tiny soil particles, less than 2 millimeters in diameter
. Sediment can be classified based on its grain size, and it can consist of terrigenous material, which originates on land, or sediments (often biological) originating in the body of water
. When sediment reaches waterways, it can degrade water quality by increasing turbidity, obstructing sunlight, reducing biologically available oxygen, and clogging the spaces between larger gravel, cobble, and boulders, thus reducing viable habitat for aquatic life
