Rocky Mountain acidification study
Gibson JH, Galloway JN, Schofield C, McFee W, Johnson RA, McCarley S, Dise N, Herzog D. 1983. Rocky Mountain acidification study. FWS/OBS-80/40.17 (Air Pollution and Acid Rain Report No. 17). US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Biological Services, Eastern Energy and Land Use Team. Kearneysville, WV
As a result of the growing concern for the potential effects of acid deposition in western mountain watersheds, this project was undertaken to: 1. Determine the sensitivity of watersheds characteristic of the Rocky Mountain Region and the relationship of watershed sensitivity to geology and soils. 2. Evaluate the extent of current acidification and the potential for increasing acidification with increasing deposition of nitrate and sulfate. 3. Evaluate the results of the above in terms of impacts on fish populations. 4. Develop recommendations for assessment of future trends in both changing water chemistry and impacts on fish populations. Areas were selected for study which had minimal human impact and for which the maximum amount of data on soils, geology and water chemistry already existed. The Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and Yellowstone National Park (YNP) areas selected exemplified two different geologic types. The geology of these areas is representative of a large portion of that in the total Rocky Mountain region. In addition, data on precipitation chemistry were available from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitoring studies in the two parks. In Yellowstone National Park up to 30 years of water chemistry data were available, along with information on geology and soils. In Rocky Mountain National Park a lake and stream sampling program was conducted to collect the water chemistry information. Throughout the project the relationship between water quality data and fish responses determined in research studies in Scandinavia and eastern North America were relied upon to assess potential impacts on fish populations.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Gibson, J; Galloway, James; Schofield, Carl; McFee, William; Johnson, Robert; McCarley, Sandy; Dise, Nancy; Herzog, David
- Date of Issue
- 1983-10
- Publisher
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Biological Services, Eastern Energy and Land Use Team
- Units
- ROMO , WRD , YELL
- Keywords
- Acidification, Alkalinity, Atmospheric Deposition, Chemistry, Clemson, Colorado, Fish Populations, Fisheries Management, Geology, lithologic units, Soils, Surface Water, water chemistry data, watershed studies, WRBIB, Wyoming