Dredging is when big machinery is used to scoop or suck soil from the bottom of a lake or river. Dredging is done to keep a waterway from filling up with “sediment”--soil moving from the land.
But what can you do with all of the sediment scooped from the bottom of a lake or river? You can’t just sweep it under a rug, unless you have a rug the size of Maryland.
This sediment is placed in approved areas. Sometimes, it is even used in creative ways, such as building parks.
“Dredging” machinery grabs a mouthful of soil from the bottom of this river. Dredging is when sediment (soil) is taken from the bottom of a river or lake to make the waterway deeper.
Photo: U.S. EPA