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Chemical Effects of Snowmelt on an Alpine Lake in the Wind River Range, WY

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Abstract

Nitrogen deposition from air pollution is increasingly reaching alpine lakes where the addition of nitrate and ammonium to sensitive surface waters can cause acidification and/or eutrophication. Thirty years of sampling in the Wind River Range, WY, has shown some lakes increasing in nitrogen. We sought to (1) determine if nutrient concentrations in Deep Lake increase during snowmelt when atmospheric deposition is released from the snowpack and (2) assess if the sampling season, location, meteorological factors, and time of day samples are collected influence lake chemistry metrics, to inform monitoring. We analyzed water samples from the outlet of Deep Lake in peak snowmelt (June) and from the inlet, outlet, and middle of Deep Lake when the basin was snow free (August). In June, outlet samples were more acidic, and nitrogen content was three times August levels. Acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) declined with snowmelt. August inlet samples were higher in nutrients than outlet and mid-lake samples. Our results indicate that atmospheric pollution in the snowpack enters the lake with snowmelt. Although Deep Lake has not acidified, ANC levels indicate a risk of episodic acidification if nitrogen deposition continues to increase. When monitoring lakes at risk for episodic acidification, sampling during the late snowmelt pulse should be prioritized. Simplified sampling protocols may be used in some lakes, as epilimnion and outlet samples were nearly identical. The time of day and cloud cover did not affect lake chemistry, while wind speed and precipitation weakly increased August ANC and June pH, respectively.

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Data Availability

The data are available at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8pk0p2nn1 through the Dryad digital repository.

Code Availability

All statistical analyses were performed in program R.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Grace Stonecipher and Connor Raney for field assistance, with support from Ted Porwoll and the Pinedale Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Funding

This study was conducted with funding from the Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative through the Western Research Fellowship, The Carpenter Sperry Fund, The Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, The Wildlife & Wildlands Fund at Yale, and the Yale Stable Isotope Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA, 98195-2100, USA

    T. R. Ganz

  2. Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    T. R. Ganz & G. Benoit

  3. Bridger Teton National Forest, United States Forest Service, Jackson, WY, USA

    J. McMurray

  4. Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

    K. Covey & C. Bettigole

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  1. T. R. Ganz
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  2. J. McMurray
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  3. K. Covey
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  4. C. Bettigole
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  5. G. Benoit
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Correspondence to T. R. Ganz.

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Ganz, T.R., McMurray, J., Covey, K. et al. Chemical Effects of Snowmelt on an Alpine Lake in the Wind River Range, WY. Water Air Soil Pollut 232, 377 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05284-z

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