>I don't quite agree with your "trump". Due to the tiny size of the
>particles and the length of time it takes for them to settle out (years in
>some cases see Stokes law) you could not get the complete separation that
>you require. Clay particles take up to 100 years to settle out of the water
>some of these are of the size that it would take 5-10 years or so to settle
>out. Some of each kind would be in suspension while the next group is
blooming.
As you know, virtually all small particles settle out as a result of
flocculation and do not depend on settling velocities unless the
concentration of particles is extremely dilute. This is why the Gulf of
Mexico is relatively free of particulates not far from the mouth of the
"Muddy Mississip".
Art
http://chadwicka.swau.edu