Acidic lakes and streams in the United States: The role of acidic deposition

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5163837

Baker, L A; Herlihy, A T; Kaufmann, P R; Eilers, J M

A statistically designed survey of lakes and streams in acid-sensitive areas of the United States, the National Surface Water Survey (NSWS), was used to identify the role of acidic deposition, relative to other factors, in causing acidic conditions in 1,181 lakes and 4,668 streams. Atmospheric deposition is the dominant source of acid anions in 75% of the acidic lakes and 47% of the acidic streams. Organic anions are dominant in one-fourth of the acidic lakes and streams; acidic mine drainage is the dominant acid source in 25% of the acidic streams. Other causes of acidic conditions are relatively unimportant on a regional scale. Nearly all the deposition-dominated acidic systems were found in six well-delineated subpopulations that represent about one-fourth of the NSWS lake population and one-third of the NSWS stream population.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (United States). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 5163837
• Report Number(s): PB-91-226324/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Pub. in Science, v252 p1151-1154, 24 May 91. Prepared in cooperation with E and S Environmental Chemistry, Inc., Corvallis, OR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
LAKES
ACIDIFICATION
STREAMS
ACID MINE DRAINAGE
ACID RAIN
DEPOSITION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
POLLUTION SOURCES
WATER POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
POLLUTION
RAIN
SURFACE WATERS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects