Statewide Sediment Network

The Statewide Sediment Network was established to measure the levels of suspended sediment concentrations and particle size distributions at eight sites across Minnesota to evaluate the amount of sediment carried by rivers. USGS sample collection and laboratory analysis techniques provide a more rigorous, robust, and technically accurate measure of sediment in water than the current use of total suspended solids as the measure of sediment in water. A primary goal of the project is to develop correction factors for use with the state's total suspended solids sampling so sediment loads are not underestimated. The project is also beginning to incorporate the use of in-situ turbidity and accoustic Doppler sensors to provide sediment load calculations that will be in near-real time and to reduce sediment sampling costs. A final component of the project includes the sampling and measurement of bedload which is sediment that moves along the bottom of a river and is not captured by normal surface water sampling.