______ or small streams at the upper end of a reservoir can help reduce _____

• A. Installing a sediment trap, erosion
• B. Creating an artificial wetland, erosion
• C. Installing a sediment trap, siltation
• D. Creating an artificial wetland, siltation

Answer: (D)

Upstream sediment control is about keeping sediments from reaching the reservoir. An artificial wetland at the upper end slows the incoming water and provides vegetation that traps and settles out sediment before it can travel downstream. This natural filtering reduces the amount of silt that accumulates in the reservoir, helping preserve storage capacity and maintain treatment effectiveness. Wetlands offer a broad, distributed way to capture sediment and also provide additional benefits like habitat and improved water quality, making them a strong, practical approach for reducing siltation. While mechanical options like sediment traps can also reduce sediment load, a wetland uses a natural process to achieve the same end and tends to be more effective across varying runoff conditions.