Wetlands
   Frederick County Public Schools - Frederick, MD - Contact: Eddie Main - 240-236-4787 - eddie.main@fcps.org

 
 
 
 
 
What's that Sediment?

Sediment is the type of material found on the bottom of a river or stream. It ranges from very fine silt through large boulders (silt - sand - gravel - stones - boulders). You may have any combination of types of sediment, however it is usually determined by the speed of the water.


Sediment Type

What Does it Look Like?

 Description

Silt

 

silt
Very fine particles; feels "squishy"

Sand

 

sand
Slightly larger particles; feels gritty

Gravel

 

gravel
Up to size of a U.S. quarter

Stones

 

stones
Up to size of a baseball

Boulders

 

boulders
Anything larger than a stone