Environmental policy making a difference: The Clean Air Act and mountain lakes
Sierra Nevada Network. 2019. Environmental policy making a difference: The Clean Air Act and mountain lakes. National Park Service
This brief provides an overview of the following publication: 20th century atmospheric deposition and acidification trends in lakes of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA (Heard et al. 2014). This study uses data from cores of lake sediments to assess acidification trends in Sierra Nevada lakes from the early 1800s to the early 2000s. Study authors evaluate relationships between acidification, pollutants, and the Clean Air Act enacted in 1972. The Clean Air Act is associated with a decline in indicators of pollutants and an increase in the acid-neutralizing capacity of lakes since the 1970s - 1980s. While the recovery of these lakes is a positive outcome of the Clean Air Act policy, Sierra Nevada lakes need continued monitoring and protection. Research conducted at a larger spatial scale suggests that lakes in this region are still affected by acid deposition. Continued monitoring of Sierra Nevada lakes provides data for evaluating change, informing research and management, and assessing the effectiveness of environmental policies.
- Type
- Resource Brief
- Authors
- Sierra Nevada Network
- Date of Issue
- 2019-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- SEKI , SIEN
- Keywords
- acidity, acid-neutralizing capacity, air pollution, atmospheric deposition, Clean Air Act and Amendments, lake brief, sediment core, Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, Sierra Nevada Network, spheroidal carbonaceous particles, water quality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Air and Climate | Air Quality | Wet and Dry Deposition , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Water Chemistry