The ability to develop and sustain civilizations and their environments has a core
relationship to rivers and their waters. The capacity to maximize benefits and minimize
potential damage caused by these waterways ultimately plays a key role in our livelihood.
Given that their boundaries are generally loose, rivers frequently adjust their cross-sections,
conveyance patterns and flow capacities through the process of sediment transport. These
morphologic changes can lead to failure of in-stream structures, such as bridges or
underground utilities, or cause severe damage to floodplain property. In other instances,
natural sedimentation trends in rivers may have been greatly inhibited over a long period due
to anthropogenic activity. Since sediment replenishment is intimately linked to terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems, this inhibition may, in some cases, negatively affect nutrient contributions,
biodiversity and other aspects of aquatic habitat.