2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/22/2019 | 9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | A CLEAN AIR ACT SUCCESS STORY: RECOVERING FISH ASSEMBLAGES AND WATER QUALITY IN ACIDIFIED STREAMS OF NEW YORK | 151 DEF
A CLEAN AIR ACT SUCCESS STORY: RECOVERING FISH ASSEMBLAGES AND WATER QUALITY IN ACIDIFIED STREAMS OF NEW YORK
Acid deposition has adversely affected aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in many watersheds across the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains in New York over the past five decades. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) reduced acidity of many lakes in the Adirondacks but had little effect on streams until only recently. Water chemistry and flow (monitored from 1991 to 2017) and fish data from quantitative surveys (done from 1979 to 2017) in streams of both regions were assessed to ascertain their responses to the CAAA. From 1991 to 2017, sulfate and inorganic Al concentrations decreased significantly, and nitrate remained unchanged in most streams; whereas, acid neutralizing capacity and pH remained unchanged or increased slightly in several streams. Except for streams with barriers, density and biomass of many fish communities (and brook trout populations), and total richness increased in de-acidifying Catskill streams. Moderate decreases in Al-toxicity were evident in one Adirondack stream, but too little fish data were available to determine if widespread biological recovery is underway across this region. Clearly, chemistry in many streams, and biology in some streams of New York are beginning to recover due to the 1990 CAAA.
- Bioassessment
- Water Quality
- Restoration
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Presenters/Authors
Barry Baldigo
(), U.S. Geological Survey, bbaldigo@usgs.gov;
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Scott George
(), U.S. Geological Survey, sgeorge@usgs.gov;
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Greg Lawrence
(), U.S. Geological Survey, glawrenc@usgs.gov;
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Michael McHale
(), U.S. Geological Survey, mmchale@sugs.gov;
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