Rules and regulations about water contamination have set forth by the government to create environmental policies such as the Clean Water Act and the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). These acts have led to the common use of silt barriers around construction sites and locations where dredging operations take place. These silt barriers are designed to, specifically, ensure that silt and turbidity elements do not contaminate nearby fresh water streams, lakes, ponds, etc. Turbidity is the measure of optical properties, like haziness or cloudiness, of water caused by loose sediment and suspended materials to the naked eye, much like smoke in the air, to determine water quality.