Silt three grades fine, medium and coarse 0.002 mm to 0.006 mm to 0.020 mm to 0.063 mm). In actuality, silt is chemically distinct from clay, and unlike clay, grains of silt are approximately the same size in all dimensions; furthermore, their size ranges overlap. Clays are formed from thin plate-shaped particles held together by electrostatic forces, so present a cohesion. Pure silts are not cohesive. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Texture Classification system, the sand–silt distinction is made at the 0.05 mm particle size. The USDA system has been adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Gravel chub May and continuing into June. Adult gravel chubs have been spotted spawning by gathering on gravel bars in soft currents created by a rise in the waterline after hard rains. The gravel chub is considered a threatened species in many areas mostly due to the fact that it has a highly specific, clean habitat need. As of 1988 it was considered endangered in Kansas, under legal protection in Indiana and Wisconsin and considered a special concern in Kentucky, Minnesota and New York. Gravel chubs need constant mild currents with silt free riffles. Agriculture run-off is the biggest threat to this