Changes in the chemistry of acidified Adirondack streams from the early 1980s to 2008

Abstract

Lakes in the Adirondack region of New York have partially recovered in response to declining deposition, but information on stream recovery is limited. Here we report results of Adirondack stream monitoring from the early 1980s to 2008. Despite a 50% reduction in atmospheric deposition of sulfur, overall increases in pH of only 0.28 and ANC of 13 μeq L−1 were observed in 12 streams over 23 years, although greater changes did occur in streams with lower initial ANC, as expected. In the North Tributary of Buck Creek with high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, SO42− concentrations decreased from 1999 to 2008 at a rate of 2.0 μmol L−1 y−1, whereas in the neighboring South Tributary with low DOC concentrations, the decrease was only 0.73 μmol L−1 y−1. Ca2+ leaching decreased in the North Tributary due to the SO42− decrease, but this was partially offset by an increase in Ca2+ leaching from increased DOC concentrations.