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U.S. Department of Energy
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Wisconsin Regional Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study (RILWAS): 1981-1983

Book ·
OSTI ID:5729239

Round and East Eightmile lakes, small seepage lakes in thick sandy outwash in northwestern Wisconsin, were studied from September 1981 through August 1983. Precipitation was 5-15% < normal during the first year and 7-15% > normal during the second year. Snowfall accounted for 24-34% of the precipitation; however, all snowmelt infiltrated the highly permeable soils, and no spring depression in lake pH was observed. Chemistry of the precipitation was dominated by hydrogen ion, ammonium, and sulfate. Hydrologic budgets indicate that inflow to the lakes was precipitation dominated, whereas outflow was primarily evaporation. The remaining flows were groundwater inflow and outflow. Direct atmospheric deposition accounted for the majority of hydrogen ion, chloride, and inorganic nitrogen inputs to the lakes, whereas, groundwater inflow supplied most of the calcium, magnesium, sodium, alkalinity, and silica. The groundwater basins upgradient from the lakes retained hydrogen ion and inorganic nitrogen relative to chloride. Potassium, sulfate, sodium, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and silica were released from the basins.

OSTI ID:
5729239
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English