United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Acid Deposition,
Environmental Monitoring and
Quality Assurance
Washington DC 20460
EPA/600/M-87/030
September 1987
Research and Development
£EPA AERP
The Aquatic Effects Research Program (AERP) status provides information on AERP projects
dealing with the effects of acidic deposition on U.S. surface waters. Our objectives are to:
• assist organizations involved in acidic deposition research to avoid duplication of efforts
and to make maximum use of related research;
• promote communications among the Environmental Protection Agency, state agencies,
and organizations involved in acidic deposition monitoring activities; and
• provide a mechanism to distribute available AERP information.
AQUATIC EFFECTS RESEARCH PROGRAM
Concern over the effects of acidic deposition on the nation's surface water resources led the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to initiate research in this field in the late 1970s.
Early research, focusing on a diversity of potential effects, provided insight into those
research areas which were considered central to key policy questions. Recognizing the need
for an integrated, stepwise approach to resolve the issues, EPA implemented the Aquatic
Effects Research Program (AERP) in 1983 with its present structure, focus, and approach.
The Program, a part of EPA's Office of Research and Development, is administered by the
Acid Deposition and Atmospheric Research Division in the Office of Acid Deposition,
Environmental Monitoring, and Quality Assurance. The AERP is also a major component of
the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program's (NAPAP) Aquatic Effects Research
Task Group 6, a cooperative effort of nine federal agencies tasked with addressing important
policy and assessment questions relating to the acidic deposition phenomenon and its
effects.
Initially, AERP studies focused on process-oriented research at a few study sites to generate
hypotheses for further testing and to identify key parameters associated with the effects of
acidic deposition on aquatic ecosystems. In 1983, after it was determined that regional
assessments of the effects of acidic deposition could not be made with known confidence on
the basis of available historical data, the AERP redirected its focus to provide that informa-
tion. Weaknesses of available data included possible inconsistencies in the selection of study
sites, lack of data for certain important parameters, inconsistent sampling and analytical
methods, and little or no information on quality assurance.
The AERP addresses four major policy questions relating to the effects of acidic deposition on
aquatic ecosystems;
1. the extent and magnitude of change,
2. the change to be expected in the future under various rates of acidic deposition,
3. the maximum rates of deposition below which further change is not expected, and
4. the rate of change or recovery of aquatic ecosystems if deposition rates are decreased.
An integrated, stepwise approach is used within the AERP to provide the necessary data for
assessment and policy decisions related to the effects of acidic deposition on aquatic
resources. The approach employs statistically-based site selection, standardized sampling
procedures and analytical methods, and rigorous quality assurance protocols. At present, the
AERP includes five major research component projects that have been initiated or are being
planned: the National Surface Water Survey (NSWS), the Direct/Delayed Response Project
(DDRP), the Episodic Response Project (ERP), the Watershed Manipulation Project (WMP),
and the Temporal Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems (TIME) Project. Two additional
projects. Biologically Relevant Chemistry (BRC) and Indirect Human Health Effects (IHHE),
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AERP status
have been incorporated into the AERP research design.
These projects form an integrated program to quantify the
chemical status of surface waters, to predict the response of
biologically relevant water chemistry to variable rates of
acidic deposition, and to verify and validate the predictions
(Figure 1).
TIME \ Validation
Verification
Prediction
V
I NSWS
NLS-I RSS-1 \Sta'"s
NLS-II
Figure 1. AERP Component Projects.
The AERP projects are concerned primarily with assessing
chronic, or long-term, acidification of surface waters as
affected by sulfur deposition, although the Episodic
Response Project will assess the importance of acute, or
short-term, acidification and nitrate deposition. Components
of the Biologically Relevant Chemistry Project address issues
of both chronic and acute acidification.
National Surface Water Survey (NSWS)—The NSWS is
divided into two components: the National Lake Survey
(NLS) and the Regional Stream Survey (RSS). Phase I
activities of the NSWS provide information to assess the
current chemical status of lakes and streams. Phase II
activities of these surveys describe seasonal variability in
regional surface water chemistry. Because of the statistical
basis of the sampling design, data from the NSWS can be
used to classify estimated populations of lakes and streams
so that selected subsets can be identified for more detailed
studies during other components of the AERP. Results of
these more detailed studies can be interpreted then at a
regional scale with greater confidence.
Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP)—The DDRP
provides data on watersheds and soils to complement the
surface water data of the NSWS. These data will be used in
three existing watershed acidification models to predict the
time scales over which surface waters are expected to
become chronically acidified, given different levels of acidic
inputs.
Episodic Response Project (ERP)—The ERP has similar
objectives as the NSWS, but focuses on the magnitude,
frequency, and duration of episodic acidification on regional
water chemistry and watershed processes. Data from
intensive experimental studies on hydrochemical and
biological processes, along with limited surveys of chemist
and fish (including bioassay data), will form the basis for
developing regionally-applicable models of chemical and
biological response. After calibration and verification, the
models will be applied to the statistical frame of the NSWS
to provide estimates of biologically relevant chemical data,
as well as estimates of the effects on fish on a regional
basis. At a small number of catchments, the ERP will be
conducted in conjunction with the WMP. Approximately V,
streams in the eastern United States will be monitored
intensively during major hydrologic events.
Watershed Manipulation Project (WMP)—The WMP,
involving process-oriented research at a small number of
watersheds, will assess the quantitative and qualitative
response of watershed soil and surface waters to altered
levels of deposition. Designed primarily to verify the model:
used for prediction in the DDRP, the WMP also will
determine the interactions among biogeochemical
mechanisms controlling the response of surface waters to
acidic inputs at various scales within watersheds.
Temporal Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems (TIME)
Project—The TIME Project, a long-term monitoring activity,
will evolve from existing projects within EPA and
NAPAP. The TIME sites will be selected by evaluating data
from currently monitored systems and from the NSWS
results. These sites, which will be established throughout
the United States by 1990, will be monitored to quantify the
rate, direction, and magnitude of changes in surface water
chemistry possibly due to increased and decreased levels ol
acidic deposition. The TIME sites also will provide
information on surface water chemistry that can be used to
validate the conclusions of the DDRP, the ERP, and the
WMP.
Biologically Relevant Chemistry (BRC) Project—The BRC
Project will provide assessment data on the risk that acidic
deposition poses to aquatic biota. Several complementary
studies will be incorporated as components of the BRC. One
study will determine the present status of fish populations in
a subset of lakes sampled during the eastern component of
the NLS and will quantify the chemical characteristics of
these lakes. Another study, planned in conjunction with the
ERP, will determine the effects of episodic acidification on
fish populations.
Indirect Human Health Effects (IHHE)—The IHHE Project
concentrates on two areas: (1) the alteration of drinking
water supplies in response to acidic inputs and (2) the
accumulation of mercury and other potentially toxic metals
in the muscle tissues of edible fish. Emphasizing research
on precipitation-dominated surface water systems as well as
research on shallow water aquifers, drinking water studies
include the examination of existing data to determine the
potential modification of drinking water quality by acidic
deposition. In addition, existing process-oriented and survey
data are being examined to evaluate the relationship
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AERP status
between mercury bioaccumulation in sport fish and surface
water chemistry in areas receiving high levels of acidic
deposition.
1990 AERP Report—Scheduled for completion in the
spring of 1990, the AERP Report will include discussions of
biologically relevant chemistry, status of aquatic ecosystems,
historical changes, forecasts of acidification and recovery,
and an evaluation of region-specific dose-response sce-
narios. The AERP results will serve as a foundation for a
1990 NAPAP assessment.
Status of AERP Activities—Phase I field activities (Synoptic
Chemistry) of the NLS and the RSS and Phase II field
activities (Seasonal Chemistry) of the NLS are
complete. Initial DDRP soil surveys have been completed in
the northeastern United States and in the Southern Blue
Ridge Province. Initial BRC sampling activities have been
completed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and
northwestern Wisconsin. The WMP was implemented in
the spring of 1987; field studies for the ERP are scheduled to
begin in the fall of 1987. The TIME Project conceptual
design will be finalized by the end of 1987, and field
activities will be initiated in the fall of 1988. Table 1
summarizes the present status of the various projects within
the AERP.
AERP FEATURE ARTICLE
Project
National Surface
Water Survey
National Lake
Survey, Phase 1
(East and West)
National Lake Survey.
Phase II (Chemistry,
NE)
Regional Stream
Survey. Phase 1
Direct /Delayed
Response Project
NEandSBRP
Soil Surveys
Mid-Apalachian
Soil Survey
Biologically
Relevant Chemistry
Watershed
Manipulation Project
Episodic
Response Project
Temporal Integrated
Monitoring of Ecosystems
Indirect Human
Health Effects
Design
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Ongoing
Ongoing
Complete
Fall
1987
Ongoing
Ongoing
Implementation
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Ongoing
Ongoing
Spring
1987
Fall
1987
Fall
1988
Ongoing
Reporting
Complete
Summer
1988
Winter
1987-88
Winter
1987-88
Fall
1990
Winter
1988-89
Annually
Winter
1989 90
Biennially
Spring
1990
Table 1. Present status and projected dates for stages of
major AERP projects.
Subregion pH < 6.0 ANC < 200 ueq/liter
1A 343(418) 909(995)
IB 116(179) 572(719)
1C 191(254) 1,002(1,100)
ID 192(260) 755(882)
IE 74(111) 1,020(1,121)
Northeast* 916(1,056) 4,258(4,513)
2A 20 (43) 830 (938)
2B 185(252) 438(536)
2C 41 1 (489) 839 (936)
2D 202(393) 1,411(1,842)
Midwest* 818(1,577) 3,518(3,982)
3A 1(2) 88(108)
3B 687(878) 1,156(1,413)
Southeast* 688(880) 1,244(1,521)
4A 32 (84) 2,076 (2,233)
4B 41(73) 1,222(1,333)
4C O(-) 1,205(1,411)
4D 30(63) 1,788(1,929)
4E 0 (-) 634 (787)
West** 103(172) 8,926(7,276)
* Estimated number of target population lakes in the ELS with
pH and ANC values equal to or less than those identified. The
value in parentheses is the 95 percent upper confidence limit
on the estimated number.
** Estimated number of target population lakes in the WLS with
pH and ANC values equal to or less than those identified. The
value in parentheses is the 95 percent upper confidence limit
on the estimated number.
National Lake Survey, Phase I —me initial phase of the
National Lake Survey (NLS) consisted of the Eastern Lake
Survey (ELS) and the Western Lake Survey (WLS). The
surveys, conducted in 1984 in the northeastern, mid-
western, and southeastern United States (ELS) and in 1985
in mountainous areas of the western United States (WLS),
provided baseline information about the current chemical
status of our nation's lakes (Figure 2). To accomplish the
survey objectives, a single sample was collected from each
NLS lake during fall turnover, a period of minimum within-
lake chemical variability. This index sample represented the
integration of chemical inputs and lake transformation
processes which occur during other seasons.
During the ELS, scientists used helicopters to access and
sample 1 ,798 lakes (with surface areas between 4 and
2,000 hectares). Samples from 757 lakes (with surface
areas between 1 and 2,000 hectares) were collected during
the WLS . Approximately one-half of the WLS lakes were
located within designated wilderness areas. Forest Service
personnel accessed these lakes by foot or pack animal.
In the eastern region, the Adirondacks (1 1%), the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan (10%), and Florida (22%) had the
largest number and highest percentage of acidic lakes, i.e.,
acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) < 0 ueq per liter. In the low
alkalinity regions surveyed in the West, only one lake, which
was associated with a naturally acidic hot spring in Yellow-
Stone National Park, was found to be acidic. The California
Table 2. Estimated number of lakes with specific values
of pH and ANC.
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AERP status
Subregions
1 Northeast
1A Adirondacks
1B
Poconos/
Catskills
1C Central
New England
ID Southern
New England
1E Maine
2 Upper Midwest
2A Northeastern
Minnesota
2B Upper Peninsula
of Michigan
2C Northcentral
Wisconsin
2D Upper Great
Lakes Area
3 Southeast
3A Southern
Blue Ridge
Province
3B Florida
4 West
4A California
4B Pacific
4C Northern
Rockies
4D Central
Rockies
4E Southern
Rockies
Objective
Estimate number and area, and determine
location of acidic lakes
Estimate number and area, and determine
location of low ANC lakes
Characterize present chemical status,
develop classification scheme
Design
Collect one sample during fall
Statistically select lakes so extrapolation
to obtain regional estimates can be done
Standardize methods for data comparability
Determine data quality to allow confidence
in estimates
Western Study Area
Eastern Study Area
(4C)
2A
Subregion
Boundary
Figure 2. National Lake Survey - Phase I.
1D
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AERP status
300
200
100
75
70
65
100
50
0
I
ii
A
cid
Neutral!
(802) p
n
zing Capacity
0 nf
iliill Mill 1.
go
^
Sdt
*(
p
1
^
j
Sulfate
III S
i II
!
s
*
>
n
1
• . B
111
n
nli
fl BP
]R
1A 1B 1C 10 1E 1 2A 2B 2C 2D 2 3A 3B 4A 4B 4C 4D 4E 4
Northeast Upper Midwest Southeast West
Figure 3. Comparison of median values for NLS subregions.
subregion had the lowest median ANC (62.6 peg per liter) of
all 15 subregions sampled in the NLS. With the exception of
one upper midwestern subregion, the highest estimated
median ANC for the NLS was observed in the Southern
Rockies (317 ueq per liter). Wilderness area lakes in the
West had much lower ANC values than did lakes located
outside the wilderness areas. Table 2 shows the estimated
number of NLS target lakes with pH < 6.0 and ANC < 200
peq per liter.
Sulfate concentrations in the West were markedly lower
than sulfate concentrations in the East. Median pH values
were generally lower in the Northeast (Figure 3).
The ELS estimated the present chemical status of 17,954
lakes. The chemical characteristics of an estimated 10,393
lakes were calculated from data gathered during the
WLS. The results indicate a large number of potentially
sensitive lakes in each study area.
Results of ELS-I have been published in a three-volume
major report. The report is available through the mail order
form attached to the status. The availability of the WLS-I
major report will be announced in the next edition of the
status.
COMPLETED AERP ACTIVITIES
National Lake Survey
Phase II Activities (Seasonal Chemistry)—Phase II was
initiated in the northeastern United States in 1986 and
included three seasonal chemistry surveys. Each of 147
lakes, selected from lakes sampled during Phase I of the
ELS, was sampled during spring, summer, and fall at
approximately the same location on the lake sampled during
Phase I. These surveys will provide data necessary to
characterize seasonal patterns in water chemistry and to
relate these patterns to the fall "index" conditions of Phase
I. The surveys also will provide estimates of the number of
lakes that were found not to be acidic during the Phase I fall
sampling period but are acidic at other times of the year. The
Phase II fall survey included an additional study to assess
the variability associated with fall sampling.
Data from Phase II of the ELS are being verified, validated,
and analyzed. A published report will follow this review
process and will be available by the summer of 1988.
Regional Stream Survey
The Regional Stream Survey (RSS) was conducted in the
Southern Blue Ridge Province, the Mid-Atlantic states, and
the Southeast. The RSS included three components: a
feasibility study (1985); the Mid-Atlantic Survey (1986),
designed to meet NSWS Phase I objectives; and the
Southeastern Screening Survey (1986), initiated in concert
with Mid-Atlantic sampling to provide information to
prioritize other RSS sites for future survey activities.
Feasibility Study—The RSS Pilot Study was conducted in
the Southern Blue Ridge Province in 1985 to test and
evaluate sample site selection research designs, sampling
and analytical methods, field base operations, sample
shipping and tracking procedures, quality assurance and
quality control programs, and data base management. Each
of sixty-one streams was sampled four times.
Reports on the pilot study will be announced in the next
issue of the status.
Phase I Activities (Synoptic Chemistry)—During Phase I
activities, 267 stream reaches (defined as the length of
stream between two points of confluence with tributaries, or
as the headwater if there was no upstream point of
confluence) were sampled twice at upstream nodes and
twice at downstream nodes. One sample for full chemical
analysis was collected on each visit.
Screening Survey—The Southeastern Screening Survey
covered areas of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the
Piedmont, the Ouachita Mountains, and parts of the Florida
Panhandle and Florida Peninsula that were identified in the
NLS to have a large number of acidic lakes. Each of 180
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AERP status
streams was sampled once at the upstream node and once
at the downstream node. The same chemical measure-
ments were made as in the Phase I survey. Results of the
Screening Survey may target one or more of these areas for
further study.
Final reports on the Mid-Atlantic Survey and the South-
eastern Screening Survey will be available by early in the
1988 EPA fiscal year (the EPA fiscal year is October-
September).
Direct/Delayed Response Project
The northeastern United States and the Southern Blue
Ridge Province were studied during the Direct/Delayed
Response Project (DDRP). Because these areas contain
contrasting soils and watershed characteristics, their
responses to acidic inputs are likely to differ. Watersheds in
the Northeast were selected for mapping and soil sampling
based on measurements of lake chemistry that were taken
in Phase I of the NLS. About 90 percent of the sites selected
for the northeastern portion of the soil surveys are within
watersheds sampled during Phase II of the NLS. Stream
water chemistry data generated from the pilot study of the
RSS were used as the basis from which to select water-
sheds for mapping and soil sampling in the Southern Blue
Ridge Province.
DDRP Soil Surveys—Soil Conservation Service scientists
mapped the watersheds of 145 lakes in the Northeast in the
spring of 1985 and mapped 35 sites in the Southern Blue
Ridge Province in the fall of 1985. Sampling at all sites was
completed by the winter of 1986.
Results of the soil surveys in the Northeast and the South-
ern Blue Ridge Province will be available by the winter of
1988.
Biologically Relevant Chemistry (BRC)—NSWS subregion
2B (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northwestern
Wisconsin) was selected for surveys of fish communities and
fish mercury content because it: (1) contains a high
proportion of acidic lakes, therfore, is likely to have a high
proportion of "fishless" lakes; (2) is anticipated to have
relatively high levels of mercury in fish; (3) has little existing
data on fish community status or on mercury levels in fish;
and (4) has diverse geologic and hydrologic conditions.
BRC Field Activities—A cooperative effort among EPA, the
Electric Power Research Institute, and the University of
Michigan at Lansing, initial BRC sampling was conducted
from June to September, 1987. Water samples from 49
Phase I lakes were collected and analyzed for a variety of
aquatic chemistry parameters. From a subset of lakes, a
separate set of samples was analyzed for levels of mercury.
In addition, personnel from the University of Michigan at
Lansing collected a variety of species and sizes of fish.
Fillets of fish muscle were removed at Cornell University and
are being analyzed for levels of mercury at Syracuse
University.
CURRENT AERP ACTIVITIES
Current AERP activities include acidic deposition research
projects either in progress or scheduled to commence by
spring 1988.
Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP)—The DDRP
data are being evaluated at three levels. Level I analyses
include multivariate statistical procedures and steady-state
calculations such as sulfur input-output budgets. The
results of these analyses are being integrated with data frc
the NSWS to provide correlations between watershed
characteristics and surface water chemistry. Level II
analyses are order-of-magnitude time estimates. They will
be used to estimate changes in individual system com-
ponents (i.e., sulfate adsorption and base cation supply)
considered to be important in controlling surface water
acidification. Dynamic models are being used in Level III
analyses to integrate key mechanisms controlling surface
water chemistry in order to simulate changes in water
chemistry over a long period of acidic deposition. The
predicted responses to continued deposition are being usec
to classify watersheds and to estimate the number and
geographic distribution of each class of watersheds.
To apply DDRP analyses to the Mid-Appalachian Region, a
soil survey similar to the surveys conducted in the Northeas
and the Southern Blue Ridge Province is being planned for
implementation in 1988. Watershed mapping is underway
in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. Geology, soils
vegetation, and hydrologic characteristics are distinct in thij
region, and present levels of deposition are among the
highest in the United States. The Mid-Appalachian Region
probably represents a transition zone between the Northeas
and the Southern Blue Ridge Province.
Address inquiries regarding the DDRP to:
Robbins Church, DDRP Technical Director
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
(503) 757-4666
FTS: 420-4666
Episodic Response Project—The Fernow Experimental
Forest, a U.S.D.A. Forest Service research site in West
Virginia, has been selected as the site for the first ERP
intensive experimental studies. Because this site has been
the focus of ongoing studies, empirical data needed to begin
model development and verification are already available.
Field studies are expected to begin immediately, and fish
studies and episodes monitoring will begin early next year.
Local Forest Service researchers will be responsible for data
collection, chemical analyses, and data interpretation. These
researchers will collect continuous and semi-continuous
stream water chemical data so that the magnitude, duration,
and frequency of episodic acidification at each site can be
determined.
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STATE
INFORMATION
The AERP status provides a forum for states to exchange information and updates about
acidic deposition monitoring activities. Highlighted state activities are presented below:
California
The California Air Resources Board is sponsoring a project on modeling acidification
processes. The study targets high elevation watersheds in the Sierra Nevada and will include a
compartment model of the Emerald Lake Watershed in Sequoia National Park and a regional
assessment of the sensitivity of lakes in the Sierra Nevada to acidic deposition.
Connecticut
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
are involved in a cooperative project to determine the effects of atmospheric deposition on the
surface water quality of streams in the Salmon River Basin. Short-term changes in water quality
associated with storm events and snowmelt are central to this study.
Georgia
Georgia's Task Force on Acidic Deposition is conducting a research project to determine the
effects of acidic deposition on smallmouth bass populations in several lakes in northern Georgia.
Maryland
Aquatic effects studies in Maryland include: stream chemistry surveys, an episodic response
project near Chesapeake Bay, bioassay experiments using bluebarb herring, american shad, and
yellow perch, detailed evaluations of stream acidification mitigation techniques, and an examina-
tion of the influences of acidic deposition on the quality of a major groundwater aquifer on
Maryland's eastern shore. The Maryland Power Plant Research Program is charged with coor-
dinating these research and monitoring activities.
Minnesota
Minnesota activities include:
Deposition Monitoring - Weekly precipitation samples are collected at five sites in the
state and analyzed for major cations and anions. Low volume filterpack collectors are operated
at six sites to measure ambient concentrations of sulfur dioxide and to obtain estimates of dry
deposition.
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Seasonal Lake Chemisty - Seasonal lake monitoring has been conducted on 35 lakes since
1981. Fisheries assessments have been made on these lakes, and fish tissue has been analyzed for
heavy metals and mercury. Reports are available for data collected from 1981-1985.
Intensive Lake Monitoring - Two seepage lakes and three headwater lakes were selected for
study from October, 1983, through December, 1985, as part of the Watershed Acidification Study.
Monitoring on two of the headwater lakes will continue under a mercury study to be initiated this
summer. The additional hydrology and chemistry data collected from the two lakes will be used
to extend the established data bases. In addition, mercury concentrations in various parts of the
food chain and in various lake and watershed compartments will be assessed.
Streams/Snowmelt - A study to investigate snowmelt impacts on head water trout streams in
northern Minnesota is in the planning stages. Stream studies recently conducted in Maryland
and Wisconsin are being evaluated for their applicability to Minnesota.
Utah
The Acid Deposition Technical Advisory Committee (ADTAC) has implemented a 1987
agenda that includes: (1) sampling surface waters in 10 identified sensitive areas; (2) creating a
map of ANC; and (3) forming a state acidic deposition policy.
Virginia
The State Air Pollution Control Board funds the following studies: (1) an investigation of the
long-term transport of air pollution into Virginia, and (2) a study of the potential resources of
Virginia at risk due to the effects of acidic deposition and ozone. In the spring of 1987, the Vir-
ginia Commission on Game and Inland Fisheries sponsored a study of 400 streams in the west-
ern portion of the state. This survey provided baseline information about the effects of acidic
deposition on the stream habitat of the eastern brook trout in the mountains of Virginia.
Washington
Since 1984, the Washington Department of Ecology has examined source/receptor relation-
ships and sensitive ecosystems to determine the effects of acidic deposition on the state's lakes
and forests. Conclusions from these studies include: (1) precipitation is acidified to the greatest
degree in the western part of the state; (2) levels of acidity are significant but not as high as in
other affected areas of the country; (3) acidity is due largely to the emissions of sulfur dioxide
and nitrogen oxides from pulp mills, smelters, refineries, and power plants in the region; and (4)
automobiles are also a large source of nitrogen oxides.
Current studies focus on long-term monitoring activities.
West Virginia
In 1983, the West Virgina Wildlife Resources Division sampled 82 streams in the Allegheny
Plateau Region. Indicating a trend toward declining water quality, these studies led to state in-
volvement in the Acid Precipitation Mitigation Program sponsored by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Currently, the state is constructing a station on Cranberry River to determine
the site-specific responses to liming and to compare responses among sites in different
geographic locations.
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Wisconsin
The Water Resources Research Section in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has
been conducting acidic deposition research since 1981. The Section has been involved in the fol-
lowing interdisciplinary studies:
Regional Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study (RILWAS), with principal inves-
tigators from the Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin, U.S. Geological
Survey, University of Manitoba, Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Tetra Tech,
Inc., Systech, Inc., and Wisconsin Power and Light.
Little Rock Lake - Whole-Lake Acidification Experiment, with principal investigators fro -•
DNR, University of Wisconsin - Madison, University of Wisconsin - Superior, University of
Minnesota, Iowa State University, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
Historical Reconstruction of Acidic Lakes in Northern Wisconsin, with principal inves-
tigators from DNR and the University of Minnesota - Duluth.
Long-term Acid Sensitive Lakes Monitoring Program (Cluster Lakes), with principal inves-
tigators from DNR and the University of Minnesota.
The Department's Water Resources Research Section has maintained a philosophy that sup-
ports an interdisciplinary scientific team approach toward conducting holistic ecological re-
search. In conducting acidic deposition research, specific scientific teams have been formed with
specialists form DNR, midwestern and Canadian universities, federal government agencies from
the U.S. and Canada, and private industry. Funding for the research projects has been provided
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Electric Power Research Institute, and
DNR.
Address inquiries regarding State Information to:
Laura A. Button, AERP State Information Coordinator
1050 E. Flamingo Suite 209
Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
(702) 734-3262
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AERP status
Address inquiries concerning the ERP to:
Keith Eshleman, ERP Technical Director
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
(503) 757-4666
FTS: 420-4666
Watershed Manipulation Project—Investigators are
studying the response of watershed systems to artificial
acidification at Bear Brook in Maine and at the Fernow
Experimental Forest. At the Bear Brook site, near Orono, the
University of Maine (Stephen Norton, Principle Investigator)
provides scientific leadership and is responsible for testing
watershed-level hypotheses. In addition, a number of other
research institutions complement the activities of the
University of Maine by testing specific hypotheses related to
watershed acidification processes or by testing DDRP
models. These studies are as follows:
• The University of Virginia (George Hornberger, PI) is
testing hypotheses relating to subsurface flow processes
important in understanding the long-term hydrochemical
response of catchments to acidic deposition. This re-
search will verify whether or not the models used in the
DDRP are consistent with observed hydrological behavior
in forested watersheds.
• The University of Iowa (Jerald Schnoor, PI) is working to
determine the rate of base cation resupply to exchange
sites and the kinetics of chemical weathering. This
information will be used in the WMP to improve
mathematical model formulations and to predict and
explain the results of the watershed manipulation.
• Syracuse University (Charles Driscoll, PI) is evaluating
watershed processes regulating the transfer of aluminum
(Al) and the release of base cations prior to and following
acid applications to a watershed. Quantitative relation-
ships will be used in representations of Al chemistry and
transfer of Al and base cations. These representations
will aid in the conceptual structuring, parameterization,
and validation of the DDRP models. It also will enhance
the accuracy of the models in predicting the effects of
acidic deposition on forested ecosystems.
• The State University of New York (Myron J. Mitchell, PI) is
evaluating sulfur mobility as regulated by adsorption/
desorption processes. The University is also assessing
biochemical sulfur transformations affecting sulfate flux
through the watershed and the resulting effects on
surface water acidification.
• The University of Wisconsin at Madison (Dr. John Aber,
PI) is addressing the effect of elevated levels of sulfate
deposition on organic matter decay, nitrogen mineraliza-
tion, nitrification, nitrogen retention on exchange sites,
and nitrogen leaching losses, and the ability of vegetation
to take up and retain nitrogen in the ecosystem.
• The University of Illinois (Mark B. David, PI) is examining
organic acids and their role in the acidification of soil
solutions and surface waters. This research will
determine the role of organic acids in regulating cation
leaching and soil solution organic chemistry (including
ANC) in forested ecosystems. Subsequently, influence of
organic acids in the DDRP models will be examined and
refined.
• The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (Everett Jenne, PI) is
testing, comparing, and verifying the DDRP models to
evaluate their sensitivity when addressing specific
assessment and policy questions. In addition, modeling
studies will be conducted with other WMP cooperators to
design, analyze, and interpret watershed manipulation
experiments, to compare model outputs and experimental
results, and to provide information to address policy and
assessment questions.
• At the Fernow Experimental Forest, the U.S.D.A. Forest
Service (David Helvey, PI) will conduct an artificial
acidification experiment in which research will be
concentrated at the watershed level with a small amount
of supplemental process research. This research activity
site is a component of both the WMP and the ERP.
Address inquiries concerning the WMP to:
Parker J. Wigington, WMP Technical Director
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
(503) 757-4666
FTS: 420-4666
Temporal Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems (TIME)
Project—The TIME Project is in the preliminary design
phase. The following tasks have been initiated:
• Model-based Population Estimates - Existing NSWS data will
be used to identify the potential target population for the
TIME project. A statistical sample will be drawn from the
target population, representing lakes to be monitored during
the TIME Project. Various relational models (e.g., cluster
analyses) are being evaluated to classify lakes based on their
physiochemical characteristics. Such a classification will aid
in optimizing the statistical sampling design in terms of
providing the necessary data to meet the objectives of the
TIME Project.
• Variance Estimates - Statistical tests are being applied to
historical data to estimate the number of lakes and streams
needed to detect significant chemical variation (at various
levels of precision and confidence). These analyses also will
help evaluate the time required to detect a significant trend.
• Candidate Sites - Long-term monitoring is being conducted
at a number of sites by private, state, and federal organ-
izations. A preliminary survey identified over 700 water-
sheds in which research is being conducted by other
agencies.
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AERP status
This preliminary survey is being expanded and coordinated
with a recent NAPAP survey in order to identify potential
candidate sites for the TIME Project.
• Statistical Analysis Approaches - For long-term monitoring
data to be of maximum use, they must be analyzed and
reviewed annually; therefore, needs of the data user must
be incorporated into the design. This task will focus on
the user and the anticipated analytical procedures. The
design criteria and attributes of candidate TIME Project
sites will be reviewed, and several statistical analysis
procedures that may be appropriate will be identified. In
conjunction with this work, the information expectations
of the data users, including EPA and NAPAP personnel
and Congress, are being evaluated. Proposed statistical
and analytical procedures will be included in the TIME
Research Plan.
The TIME Project is scheduled for implementation in the
fall of 1988. Plans for data quality objectives, research,
implementation, quality assurance, and data analysis will be
developed and peer-reviewed. Coordination meetings with
private, state, and federal agencies will be conducted during
the next six months to identify candidate sites in regions
sampled in the NSWS.
Address inquiries concerning the TIME Project to:
Dixon H. Landers, Aquatic Effects Team Leader
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
(503) 757-4695
FTS: 420-4695
Two other projects, the Southeastern Acidification Project
and the Surface Water Recovery Project, are being
incorporated into the AERP research design.
Southeastern Acidification Project—The "F-factor", a
measure in the change of base cations due to change in
sulfate concentration, is the greatest uncertainty in
acidification models. One of the objectives of the South-
eastern Acidification Project is to calculate watershed-
specific values of the F-factor. Other objectives are:
(1) develop a regional index of hydrologic inputs; (2) improve
estimates of wet and dry sulfate deposition inputs; (3) refine
projected timeframes for reaching sulfate steady-state and
depleting base cation supplies; (4) examine the relationships
among F-factors and various watershed characteristics for
specific subsets of systems; (5) perform detailed analyses of
RSS data from the Southern Blue Ridge Province and, (6)
refine the estimated values for input parameters to reduce
the error propagated through dynamic acidification models.
Possible study locations include sites sampled in the
Southern Blue Ridge Province during the RSS and the
DDRP, and watersheds currently studied by the U.S.
Geological Survey, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, and the
National Park Service. Research is expected to begin earh
next year, and integration of results is targeted for late 19!
Address inquiries concerning the Southeastern Acidificati'
Project to:
Kent Thornton
Ford, Thornton, Norton & Assoc., Ltd.
3 Innwood Circle, Suite 220
Little Rock, Arkansas 72211
(501)225-7779
Surface Water Recovery Project—The rate and extent of
surface water recovery in response to decreased acidic
deposition (relative to current levels) is presently
unknown. The AERP plans to implement research that w
provide information regarding the recovery issue in time fo
the 1990 AERP Report.
The Surface Water Recovery Project will draw on the
findings of nearly every other AERP component project, as
well as case histories from Canada and Europe that have
documented surface water response to decreased levels of
acidic deposition. Field and laboratory studies will focus on
sulfur sorption dynamics as a means to predict future sulfa
steady-state in regions identified in the NSWS to contain
acidic and low ANC lakes and streams. These studies may
be conducted as part of the field manipulation studies in thi
Bear Brook Watershed and in the Fernow Experimental
Forest. Plot studies, in which various portions of watershec
are monitored after sulfate inputs are terminated, might be
conducted at existing research sites or at watersheds
associated with acidic systems sampled during the NSWS
and the DDRP. All of these studies will monitor changes in
base cation supply as well as sulfur sorption dynamics.
Laboratory studies will examine sulfate sorption processes i
soil columns. Soils collected from various field sites can be
loaded with sulfate and desorption dynamics monitored
under various experimental conditions. Archived DDRP soil
collected from the Northeast and the Southern Blue Ridge
Province will be evaluated for use in these experiments.
Case history evaluations will focus on sites in Sudbury,
Ontario, Nova Scotia, and western Sweden. A literature
review will examine the extent to which sulfate "break-
through" (i.e., sulfate transport from watersheds to surface
waters) continues after sulfate inputs are removed. Field
work will be conducted at Clearwater Lake in Ontario where
deposition of sulfur compounds has been reduced
significantly.
Address inquiries regarding the Surface Water Recovery
Project to:
Dan McKenzie
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallts, Oregon 97333
(503) 757-4600 FTS: 757-4600
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AERP status
AERP TECHNICAL INFORMATION PROJECT
The technical information project disseminates information
an AERP activities to state agencies, organizations, and
technical audiences. Distributed information icludes the
Allowing items:
status—In addition to providing information on current
activities within the AERP, the status will highlight the
activities of state agencies involved in projects related to
aquatic effects of acidic deposition. The status will provide a
nechanism for obtaining documents resulting from AERP
•esearch activities and from the Technical Information
'reject.
Project Overviews—Concise project descriptions will inform
•egional EPA offices, state agencies, and other interested
jrganizations about AERP projects prior to their implement-
ation. A similar document, summarizing project conclusions,
/vill follow at the end of each project.
Biennial Publications and Presentations Journal—This
document will be a compilation of abstracts describing
jresentations authored or coauthored by AERP-EPA and
:ontractor support personnel. Issues are prepared
jiennially. The first issue, covering 1985 and 1986
jbstracts, will be available through the mail order form m
:he next issue of the status.
'reject Descriptors—This document will be a compilation of
\ERP project descriptions for activities to be performed in a
jiven EPA fiscal year. The first issue will cover the October
1987-September 1988 EPA fiscal year projects; the current
ssue should be available at the beginning of the calendar
(-ear (January 1988).
Major Report with Companion Documents—These docu-
ment sets will be a compilation of the manuals and reports
jsed during or prepared as a result of a particular AERP
jroject. Companion documents to each major data report
nclude field operations and quality assurance reports,
quality assurance plans, and analytical methods manuals.
The first complete set (ELS-I) of documents is available
hrough the mail order form in this issue of the status.
Oata Bases—Each data base consists of two components:
a computer diskette or tape containing the validated data
Dase for a particular AERP project and a user's guide with
nstructions on how to use the disk and how the quality of
.he data was assessed. The WLS-I Data base is available
:hrough the mail order form in this issue of the status.
Handbooks—The handbooks are guidance documents that
:ontain procedures for field operations, laboratory opera-
ions, and quality assurance for surface water and soil
chemistry. They are beneficial to those organizations
involved in designing and implementing monitoring activities
related to acidic deposition. A loose-leaf format facilitates
insertion of revisions. The Handbook of Methods for Acid
Deposition Studies, Laboratory Analyses for Surface Water
Chemistry is available through the mail order form in this
issue of the status.
Computer Animation Presentations—Computer animation
presentations will be created for each AERP component
project. A "storyboard" format will provide scientific
information to a wide range of technical and non-technical
audiences. The first computer animation presentation will
describe the objectives and underlying hypotheses of DDRP.
Address inquiries concerning the AERP Technical
Information Project to:
Robert E. Crowe, Technical Director,
AERP Technical Information Project
EPA/Environ mental Monitoring Systems Laboratory-
Las Vegas
P.O. Box 93478
Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478
(702) 798-2273
FTS: 545-2273
AERP ANNOUNCEMENTS
AERP Supported Activities
WLS-I Data Base—Data from the WLS-I are available. The
data base includes lake and watershed physical
characteristics, in situ measurements, and analytical
laboratory results.
Address inquiries regarding the WLS-I Data Base to:
Dixon H. Landers
EPA/Environmental Research Laboratory-Corvallis
200 S.W. 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
NAPAP Federal/State/Private Sector
Research Coordination Workshop
November 3-5, 1987
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Contact:
Bob Downing, International Specialist
National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program
722 Jackson Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20503
(202)395-5771
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AERP status
If you would like to receive any of the following AERP products, please check the
appropriate box(es).
Major Report/Companion Documents
Eastern Lake Survey - Phase I
Major Report-Characteristics of Lakes in the Eastern United States
Volumes l-lll 4007 D
Volume I 4007a D
Volume II 4007b D
Volume III 4007c D
Quality Assurance Plan 4008 D
Analytical Methods Manual 4009 D
Field Operations Report 4010 D
Quality Assurance Report 4011 O
Data Bases
Western Lake Survey - Phase I
Data Base (Special order form will be sent) 2027 D
Handbooks
Handbook of Methods for Acid Deposition,
Laboratory Analyses for Surface Water Chemistry 3026 D
Would you like to be included on the mailing list for future editions of AERP the status?
D Yes D No
If you are on the mailing list for the AERP status, do you want to remain?
D Yes D No
Name:
Street:
City/State/Zip Code:
Return to: CERI, AERP Publications
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
26 W. Martin Luther King Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45268
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