ACID–BASE STATUS OF SURFACE WATERS IN THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE: A COMPARISON OF RESULTS FROM THE NATIONAL SURFACE WATER SURVEY

Abstract

ABSTRACT The primary objective of the National Surface Water Survey was to determine the percentages of acidic and low acid neutralizing capacity surface waters in regions of the United States thought to be potentially susceptible to acid deposition effects. The Southern Blue Ridge Province is a region of the United States known to receive wet deposition with a pH less than 4.6 and was expected to contain predominantly low acid neutralizing capacity waters. Both the Eastern Lake Survey and the National Stream Survey sampled surface waters in the Southern Blue Ridge, thereby providing a unique opportunity to compare and contrast the “index” chemistry of lakes and streams in the region. Population descriptions for such important chemical variables as acid neutralizing capacity, calcium, and sulfate are remarkably similar, despite the fact that lakes were sampled at fall turnover, while streams were sampled in the spring and early summer. The similarity of lake and stream chemistries reflects the large numbe...