Rocky Mountain acidification study

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:7193067

Gibson, J H; Galloway, J N; Schofield, C; McFee, W; Johnson, R; McCarley, S; Dise, N; Herzog, D

The objectives of this report were to determine the sensitivity of watersheds characteristic of the Rocky Mountain Region and the relationship of watershed sensitivity to geology and soils; to evaluate the extent of current acidification and the potential for increasing acidification with increasing deposition of nitrate and sulfate; to evaluate the results of the preceding in terms of impacts on fish populations; and to develop recommendations for assessment of future trends in both changing water chemistry and impacts on fish populations. Areas selected for study included the Rocky Mountain National Ppark and Yellowstone National Park, exemplifying two different geologic types that are representative of a large portion of the Rocky Mountain region. Rocky Mountain National Park is primarily underlain by granite and Yellowstone National Park by volcanic materials. Sensitivity is primarily determined by bedrock geology and varies inversely with elevation. High-elevation lakes and streams in the central Rocky Mountain region are very sensitive to acidic deposition. With respect to fish populations there is currently no evidence of chronic acidification and thus no apparent impact on fisheries. However, the very low base cation concentration observed in the headwater drainages of Rocky Mountain National Park suggests extreme sensitivity to acidification. Waters in volcanic areas such as Yellowstone National Park are generally of high alkalinity and do not represent potentially sensitive habitats. 109 references, 31 figures, 24 tables.

• Research Organization: Fish and Wildlife Service, Kearneysville, WV (USA). Eastern Energy and Land Use Team
• OSTI ID: 7193067
• Report Number(s): FWS/OBS-80/40.17; ON: TI84901174
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACIDIFICATION
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AMMONIA
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOTITE
CALCIUM
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FISHES
GEOCHEMISTRY
GRANITES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
INFORMATION
MAGNESIUM
METALS
MICA
MINERALS
MOUNTAINS
NATURE RESERVES
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PH VALUE
PHOSPHATES
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLUTONIC ROCKS
POTASSIUM
RESOURCES
ROCKS
ROCKY MOUNTAINS
SILICATE MINERALS
SODIUM
SOILS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES
WATERSHEDS