Monitoring water quality of selected lakes in Glacier National Park, Montana: Analysis of data collected, 1984-1990
Ellis BK, Stanford JA, Craft JA, Chess DW, Gregory GR, Marnell LF. 1992. Monitoring water quality of selected lakes in Glacier National Park, Montana: Analysis of data collected, 1984-1990. University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station Open File Report. 129-92. University of Montana, Flathead Lake Biological Station. Polson, MT
Within the Rocky Mountains of western North America, catchments and basins of many lakes lie in stoichiometrically inert substratum, and waters arc characterized by low concentrations of dissolved solids with little buffer capacity. Should acid precipitation manifest, the chemistry of these lakes may be expected to change radically. Owing to the low solute concentrations of these lakes, they contain little capacity to produce plant biomass. Therefore, they are very sensitive to changes in nutrient inputs. Human activities on the lakes, their shorelines and in catchment basins can cause eutrophication with very little added nutrient load through land disturbances, disposal of sewage, deposition of ash from wood burning, fuel spills, indiscriminate use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer and other point and nonpoint pollution sources. In order to establish a water quality baseline for lakes in GLAC, the National Park Service and the Flathead Lake Biological Station began a cooperative monitoring program in 1984. Data were collected every summer and fall through 1990, with the objective of documenting the annual variability in water chemistry, physical characteristics, and phytoplankton and zooplankton communities of selected park lakes.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Ellis, Bonnie; Stanford, Jack; Craft, James; Chess, Dale; Gregory, Gary; Marnell, Leo
- Date of Issue
- 1992-12
- Publisher
- University of Montana, Flathead Lake Biological Station
- Units
- ARD , GLAC , WRD
- Keywords
- Acid Precipitation, AIRBIB, biological analysis, Conductivity, Data Analysis, Lakes, Monitoring, Nutrients, Phytoplankton, samples, trophic state, Water Chemistry, Water Quality, Zooplankton