Lesson 4: The Changing Delta

What can cause a delta to shrink?

Increased flooding and rainfall caused humans to build walls to manage the flow of the river. This caused a steadier flow of water for communities and transportation along the river but limited how soil and rock could be deposited in the delta. Over time, the land seems to “disappear,” but really the soil and rocks are being swept away by the flow of water and wave currents faster than the land is deposited from the river. Human activity can have both positive and negative effects on natural processes.

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