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Integrated lake-watershed acidification study. Volume 3. Lake chemistry program. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6870348

As one of a series of reports from the Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study, this volume focuses on the acid-base chemistry of Woods, Sagamore and Panther Lakes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. The lake basins receive similar amounts of acid deposition on a per-unit-area and time basis. Woods Lake, though, is acidic, Panther is alkaline, and Sagamore is in between. Input-output analyses of the lake-watersheds indicate that all three, on a yearly basis, are net sinks for acidity and nitrate and net sources for Ca/sup 2 +/, Mg/sup 2 +/, Na/sup +/, K/sup +/, aqueous aluminum, iron, and manganese. The difference in the acidity of the lakes is due to different amounts of base cation release in the tributary watersheds. The release is highest for the alkaline lake and lowest for the acidic lake. Spring acidification during snowmelt is limited to the upper meter or two of the lakes and is associated with decreases in the base cation concentrations and increases in nitrate. A portion of the nitrate appears to be derived internally from the watersheds. Among the topical research findings are the importance of including aluminum when computing the acid neutralizing capacity of low pH waters, and the lack of release of lead from the lake sediments, even upon acidifying the interstitial water to pH 3. 66 references, 41 figures, 7 tables.

Research Organization:
Virginia Univ., Charlottesville (USA)
OSTI ID:
6870348
Report Number(s):
EPRI-EA-3221-Vol.3; ON: TI84920486
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English