Chemistry of soft-water seepage lakes in the upper midwest: Lacustrine alkalinity production in summer

Abstract

A total of 26 soft-water, seepage lakes in the Northern Highlands (NH) of Wisconsin (N =16) and the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan (N=10) were sampled four times between early May and mid October 1984 as part of the ‘PIRLA’ Project (Paleolimnological Investigations of Recent Lake Acidification). Because of low antecedent recharge of the local water-table, this ‘summer’ interval likely featured minimal groundwater inputs (<2 cm over lake surface) to most of these seepage lakes. Based on this hydrogeologic relationship, and on regional deposition data, I evaluated short-term net epilimnetic (June–August) and whole-lake (May–October) sediment-water exchange of ANC, base cations, acid oxy-anions, Al, DOC and silicic acid in these lakes using a simplified mass balance algorithm. Silica, nitrate and ammonium were all efficiently retained in these seepage lakes. The assimilation of NO3− (19±4 meq m−2) slightly exceeded assimilation of NH4+ (16±4), resulting in a net internal ANC production of only +3 meq m−2 over 161 d between early May and mid October 1984. Over this same interval ANC production resulting from lacustrine S retention averaged +35±8 meq m−2 in the NH, but was too variable to be statistically significant (+21±21 meq m−2) in the UP. Epilimnetic S retentions in mid summer were more comparable (21±4 in NH; 14±5 meq m−2 in UP). McNearney Lake (UP) illustrates how high sulfate, linked to low alkalinity, high Al, low P, and low productivity, can become a negative correlate of lacustrine S retention. Temporal changes in base cations in the 26 lakes were generally small and erratic compared with uncertainties in deposition inputs and analytical errors, rendering estimates of related ANC production inconclusive. Even small analytical biases can be critical when designing and interpreting lake monitoring studies.