The terms turbidity curtain and silt curtain refer to the same product. In fact, turbidity or silt curtains are also called barriers (i.e., turbidity barrier or silt barrier), so all the variations can be confusing. Silt refers to the type of suspended particles being trapped, while turbidity refers to the actual measurement of light diffusion from those particles. Both refer to the same condition and the tool used to mitigate it, which reduces turbidity by trapping silt and other tiny suspended particles within a contained area, allowing clear water to travel through.
The terms turbidity barrier and silt barrier also describe the same thing. In this case, a flotation tube or similar device (depending on water conditions) supports a barrier, skirt or curtain which hangs down to within a foot of the bottom of the waterway, where it’s anchored so that the force of water flowing past doesn’t lift it. The curtain (barrier) itself traps silt and sediment as water flows past, allowing the particles to settle to the bottom. While some curtains can actually be made out of permeable (filtering) material, the essential function of a turbidity curtain is still to act as a barrier to those invisible particles that cloud or muddy the water.
