suspended load

Suspended load refers to materials—such as sand, silt, and clay—carried by a river or stream above the riverbed in the water column. Unlike bed load, which moves along the bottom, suspended load is kept afloat by turbulence and the flow of water. This type of load changes with water flow speed; during floods, for example, rivers can carry more suspended sediment. Understanding suspended load is important for assessing water quality, river ecology, and sediment transport, which are vital for environmental management and infrastructure planning.