"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Ah ... er ... I hate to tell you this but it ain't silt. It's the same

"silt" that forms in a septic tank.


100% wrong. The bottom conditions of the Sound are quite unique and
specific after thousands of years. It's nothing at all like the bottom
of a septic tank. Of course it helps if you actually know what "silt"
is. You clearly don't. Quite simply...

No Bob... he's quite right. The term "silt" is used to describe both the
action [siltation] and the gradation [less then 0.0075] Silt generally
contains clays and other particulate matter. Clays have even smaller
particulate sizes.


1 : loose sedimentary material with rock particles usually -uf,1-
millimeter or less in diameter.

It's a generic term for the most part. Damage to the Sound has been due
to illegal dumping allowed by local and Federal goverments. The system
is recoverable to some degree. The water itself, literally "flushed" by
tha race every day is cleaner than the Maryland/PA or local beach
waters.

The very fact that a sediment can accumulate indicates that insufficent
"flushing" is present. The area is bottle necked and bowled which makes
efficent flushing very difficult unless the contaminant is suspended. Add to
the fact that sedimentation protects and seals lower layers as natural
settlement moves the heavier particulate matter to the bottom... and you
have a reciepe for a very difficult clean-up. Silt born contaminats are the
most difficult to remove and take the longest to recover. It is also one of
the most expensive type of contamination treatment situations since any
disturbance releases concentrated contaminants. I believe it was mentioned
that siltation depths exceed 10 ft in many areas. That is a phenomenal
amount of contamination.


Bob Crantz knows nothing about ecology. He's a Google hound with no
inherent knowledge base. And you may know even less.

You may be wrong there...... he may be pulling your chain... but the facts
do substantiate his claims.

Please avoid swiming or eating any seafood caught within proximity of your
area. Certainly do not let your child come in frequent contact with the
water there. The effects will not be noticed for many years... but they will
be noticed eventually.

CM