How does rain influence agricultural runoff, soil erosion, and sedimentation in rivers, lakes, and coastal ecosystems, affecting water quality and aquatic habitats?

Rainfall can exacerbate agricultural runoff, soil erosion, and sedimentation in rivers, lakes, and coastal ecosystems by washing away topsoil, nutrients, and pollutants from farmland into waterways. Sediment-laden runoff can degrade water quality, impair aquatic habitats, and harm aquatic organisms by reducing light penetration, smothering benthic habitats, and altering nutrient dynamics.