Venturi anti-siltation system

Claim 1

A circulation and aeration column for drawing accumulated silt off the bottom of a body of water to thereby suspend the silt in the body, comprising: an elongated hollow tube; means for maintaining said tube submerged in said body of water in a substantially vertical orientation, said tube including an upper end and a lower end, the lower end thereof having affixed thereto a cylindrically shaped outwardly flared mouth member, said mouth member tapering inwardly and terminating within the interior of said tube to provide an opening of lesser cross-section than the cross-section of the opening in said tube; and annular ring member in fluid impervious engagement with the inwardly terminating end of said mouth member, said annular ring member further being outwardly flared to peripherally abut the inner surface of said tube in fluid impervious engagement therewith, thereby forming an annular chamber defined by a portion of the inner surface of said tube, said annular ring member and portion of said tapering mouth member disposed within said tube; said annular ring member including a plurality of peripherally spaced inclined apertures; and means for introducing air from an air supply through the wall of said tube into said chamber, whereby when air is discharged through said plurality of inclined apertures, an upwardly advancing, swirling stream will be created in the lower end of said tube to cause silt-laden water to rise upwardly in said tube and be discharged from said upper end thereof.