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STREAM CHEMISTRY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES: I. SYNOPTIC SURVEY DESIGN, ACID-BASE STATUS, AND REGIONAL PATTERNS
Citation:
Kaufmann, P.R., A. Herlihy, M. Mitch, AND W. Overton. STREAM CHEMISTRY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES: I. SYNOPTIC SURVEY DESIGN, ACID-BASE STATUS, AND REGIONAL PATTERNS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-91/105 (NTIS PB91206987), 1991.
Description:
To assess the regional acid-base status of streams in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, spring baseflow chemistry was surveyed in a probability sample of 500 stream reaches representing a population of 64,300 reaches. Approximately half of the streams had acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) 200 ueq/L. cidic streams were located in the highlands of the Mid-Atlantic Region, in coastal lowlands of the Mid-Atlantic, and in Florida. cidic streams were rare in the highlands of the Southeast. norganic monomeric aluminum concentrations were highest in acidic streams of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands where over 70% of the acidic streams had Al im greater than 100 ug/L, a concentration above which deleterious biological effects have frequently been reported. issolved organic carbon concentrations were much higher in lowland coastal streams, compared with inland streams. ur data support a hypothesis that atmospheric sources and retention control regional patterns in streamwater sulfate concentrations. ost stream watersheds apparently retain the vast majority of total nitrogen loading from wet deposition. he data suggest, however, that atmospheric nitrogen may be reaching streams in the Norther Appalachians. hese results show that acidic surface waters are found outside the glaciated Northeastern portions of the U.S. and that watershed sulfate retention is not sufficient to prevent acidic conditions in some Mid-Atlantic Highlands streams.
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STREAM CHEMISTRY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES: I. SYNOPTIC SURVEY DESIGN, ACID-BASE STATUS, AND REGIONAL PATTERNS