Suspended and bedded sediments (SABS) are defined by EPA as particulate organic and inorganic matter that suspend in or are carried by the water, and/or accumulate in a loose, unconsolidated form on the bottom of natural water bodies. This includes the frequently used terms of clean sediment, suspended sediment, total suspended solids, bedload, turbidity, or in common terms, dirt, soils or eroded materials.
This 2003 paper provides an introduction to SABS and water quality criteria and discusses the types and status of water quality criteria that have been or are currently being used by the States, Canada and elsewhere. The paper also proposes several new approaches or methods for developing SABS criteria for consideration by the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board.
Appendix 4 (zip)(1 pg, 21 K)
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- DRAFT: Developing Water Quality Criteria for Suspended and Bedded Sediments (SABs) - Potential Approaches (PDF)(58 pp, 169 K)
- Appendix 1: The Biological Effects of Suspended and Bedded Sediment (SABS) in Aquatic Systems: A Review (PDF)(58 pp, 277 K)
- Appendix 2: Summary of Water Quality Guidelines for Turbidity, Suspended and Benthic Sediments; British Columbia, Canada (PDF)(9 pp, 28 K)
- Appendix 3: Sediment-Related Criteria for Surface Water Quality (PDF)(24 pp, 70 K)
- Appendix 5: Guide to Selection of Sediment Targets for Use in Idaho TMDLs (PDF)(54 pp, 163 K)