Assessing the response of Emerald Lake, an alpine watershed in Sequoia National Park, California, to acidification during snowmelt by using a simple hydrochemical model. Final report

Technical Report · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:6238691

Hooper, R P; West, C T; Peters, N E

The authors constructed a simple, process-oriented model, called the Alpine Lake Forecaster (ALF), using data collected during the Integrated Watershed Study at Emerald Lake, Sequoia National Park, CA. The model was designed to answer questions concerning the impact of acid deposition on high-elevation watersheds in the Sierra Nevada, CA. ALF is able to capture the basic solute patterns in stream water during snowmelt in this alpine catchment where ground water is a minor contributor to stream flow. It includes an empirical representation of primary mineral weathering as the only alkalinity-generating mechanism. Hydrologic and chemical data from a heavy snow year were used to calibrate the model. Watershed processes during a light snow year appeared to be different from the calibration year. The model forecast concludes that stream and lake water are most likely to experience a loss of ANC and depression in pH during spring rain storms that occur during the snowmelt dilution phase.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Reston, VA (USA). Water Resources Div.
• OSTI ID: 6238691
• Report Number(s): PB-90-266511/XAB; USGS/WRI--90-4000; CNN: ARB-A732-034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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