R6 Air Program-Sponsored
Lake Monitoring
MBS Lake Monitoring Goals
(circa 1996)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Resample WLS
lakes with ANC<50
Look for episodic
acidification using
paired spring/fall
sampling
Single sample of
“all” reasonably
accessible lakes in C1 wildernesses
Long-term trends monitoring
Results: Task 1
No Significant Change
WLS
Se
re
ne
Su
m
m
it
e
Sa
dd
l
Iv
an
ho
e
De
er
Cr
ys
ta
l
MBS
Co
ug
ar
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
Be
ar
ANC (ueq/l)
ANC Change WLS (1985) to 1996+ (MBS)
Results: Task 2
Acid Neutralizing Capacity - Spring vs. Fall
Alpine Lakes Wilderness - 1997/98
140
Acid Neutralizing Capacity
120
ANC is lower in spring.
100
Dilution from snowmelt is most likely
cause rather than acid flush.
80
Spring
60
Fall
40
20
0
-20
Talapus
Hardscrabble
Anderson
Hi-Lo
Lunker
Quartz
Rock
48 Lakes Sampled in Alpine Lakes
Wilderness (of approx. 332) or 7%
8 Lakes Sampled in Glacier Peak
Wilderness (of approx. 107) or 13 %
ANC of Lakes in Glacier Peak wilderness sampled by MBS or OKA/WEN
from 1996-2007
300
938
250
ANC (Lab)
200
150
100
50
0
Fish
Found
Hart
Hart (MBS)
(OkaWen)
Holden
Lyman
Schaeffer
Slide
Range of Chemistry
MBS lakes

Dissolved Ca (mg/L)
 Dissolved Cl (mg/L)
 Conductivity (uS/cm)
 Dissolved K (mg/L)
 Dissolved Mg (mg/L)
 Dissolved Na (mg/L)
 Dissolved F (mg/L)
 NH4 (mg/L)
 NO3 (mg/L)
 SO4 (mg/L)
 SO4 (ueq/L)
0.025 - 9.524
0.035 – 1.057
1.82 – 187
0 – 0.817
0.006 - 0.624
0.09 – 1.298
0 – 0.077
0 – 0.057
0 – 0.401
0.092 – 7.766
1.92 – 161.8
Long Term Trends Monitoring
-Summit LakeSummit Lake ANC (Lab) Trends 1985-2006
10
8
6
ANC (Lab)
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-10
1985
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
2004
2005
2006
Long-term monitoring,
critical loads estimation (Eilers)

Four extremely dilute lakes in R6 sampled (2004-2008)





Vertical profile (temp., pH,
conductivity, DO, depth,
ORP)
Major ions (Ca, Mg, Na, K,
Cl, NO3, So4, HCO3, pH)
Nutrients (TKN, NO3,
NH3, Si, TP, PO4)
Zooplankton, phytoplankton,
bathymetry, sediment cores
CE-QUAL-W2
4-Lakes long-term study
Characterized the
present condition of the
lakes through lake
sampling,
2. Defined the historical
conditions of the lakes
through use of
paleolimnology, and
3. Simulated future
response of the lakes to
changing atmospheric
conditions with
hydrodynamic modeling.
1.
Notasha, Scout, Summit, Foehn
Study Conclusions

Notasha, Scout, and Summit: 300% increase in
S and N would be required before resulting in a
change in pH.
 Foehn: 100% increase in S and N before a
change in pH.
 Recommendations
 Need measured deposition
 Detailed study of a single system
Determining critical N loads to
subalpine lakes in the PNW
 Two


lakes studied
Dorothy
Cora
 Findings:


lakes were phosphorus
limited; not nitrogen limited
Seston C:N:P ratios could be useful for
predicting nutrient limitation
Long-term monitoring
Alkalinity/ANC
Lake Angeline
Alkalinity (all depths and locations)
Lunker Lake
Alkalinity (all depths and locations)
(1998 = ANC)
30
45
Alkalinity (ueq/l)
40
20
15
10
5
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
0
1982
1992
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
Copper Lake
Alkalinity (all depths and locations)
Big Heart Lake
Alkalinity (all depths and locations)
600
50
45
500
Alkalinity (ueq/l)
40
Alkalinity (ueq/l)
Alkalinity (ueq/l)
25
35
30
25
20
15
10
400
300
200
100
5
0
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
0
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
Long-term monitoring
Nitrate
Lunker Lake
Nitrate (all depths and locations)
10
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
Nitrate (ueq/l)
Nitrate (ueq/l)
Lake Angeline
Nitrate (all depths and locations)
6
5
4
3
6
5
4
3
2
2
1
1
0
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
0
1982
1991
1984
Big Heart Lake
Nitrate (all depths and locations)
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
1989
1990
1991
10
9
9
8
8
7
Nitrate (ueq/l)
Nitrate (ueq/l)
1988
Copper Lake
Nitrate (all depths and locations)
10
6
5
4
3
2
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1982
1986
1
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
0
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
Long-term monitoring
Sulfate
Lunker Lake
Sulfate (all depths and locations)
Lake Angeline
Sulfate (all depths and locations)
50
50
45
40
40
35
35
Sulfate (ueq/l)
Sulfate (ueq/l)
45
30
25
20
15
30
25
20
15
10
10
5
5
0
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
0
1982
1992
1984
50
45
45
40
40
35
35
Sulfate (ueq/l)
Sulfate (ueq/l)
50
30
25
20
15
1988
1996
1998
2000
15
5
1986
1994
20
10
1984
1992
25
5
1982
1990
30
10
1980
1988
Copper Lake
Sulfate (all depths and locations)
Big Heart Lake
Sulfate (all depths and locations)
0
1978
1986
1990
1992
0
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
NADP/NTN SO4 trends in WA
NADP/NTN trends in NO3 in WA
Conclusions from Past Monitoring
-tentative
Lakes in areas of R6 have extremely low buffering
capacity – sensitive to acidification.
 Lake chemistry is mostly stable or improving


Acidification is not occurring


No noticeable change since WLS
S deposition and concentration in lakes is decreasing
slightly
N deposition is increasing slightly

Lakes not N limited
R6 Lake Program
1.
2.
3.
How do we best summarize existing lake
sampling information?
How can we use what we know about our
lakes to best protect them?
Design and prioritize future lake efforts.
R6 Lake Program

Future Program








What should our future program look like?
What air quality-related issues are threatening alpine
lakes?
Do we need to establish a long-term chemistry
sampling program? Toward what end?
How and when to make use of modeling?
Can we forget about acidification? Nitrification?
Are most lakes P limited and can we predict this?
Should we be looking for toxic chemicals or mercury?
Is the potential impact of climate change something
we know how to measure/track/quantify at this point?
R6 Lake Program
 Strengths




Lots of lakes sampled
Long term cooperation with aquatics program
Some long term lakes sampled by contractor
Much high quality work by Eilers
 Weaknesses


Shifting issues
Little documentation