ABSTRACT
Artificial reefs are a well established fishery enhancement tool being used around the world in marine waters. The most obvious is the physical loss of the reef surface area as more material builds up over and around the reef. A last geological consideration in reef site selection is the rate of sediment deposition. In marine waters a rocky bottom must be avoided in site selection to avoid damaging an already productive “live bottom” community, but this is not normally a problem in freshwaters. The length of storm waves must become a vital part of the site selection data base. The type and density of the reef material can alleviate some of the reef problems mentioned with long period waves. If a longer period of time is available, then blocks or other materials could be left on the bottom and then the relative movement of the substrate evaluated.
