Long-term changes in fish populations of acid streams and lochs in galloway South West Scotland

During 1978–79, and again in 1984, fish populations were surveyed in 22 lochs and 27 streams in Galloway, southwest Scotland. Chemical analyses of these waters and of bulk precipitation were made over the same period. The study area includes moorland catchments and catchments with young or semi-mature coniferous forest. Trout were not caught in nets set in 5 lochs which were known to contain fish in the past. Angling records also indicated a decline in catches and increased average weight of trout in two other lochs. Evidence for the decline in fish populations suggests that this process has occurred over a period of at least 50 yr. In fishless lochs and streams the levels of acidity and Al were in the range known to be toxic to fish. Stream acidity and sulphate concentrations were significantly higher in catchments with semi-mature coniferous forests. The available evidence for long-term acidification of Galloway lochs and streams is discussed and it is concluded that acid depositions are likely to be the major cause of changes in the status of fisheries in this region.     

Trends in Surface Water Acidification in Europe and North America (1989–1998)

During the last 20 years, emission reductions in Europe and North America have resulted in decreased atmospheric S-deposition of up to 50%, while N-deposition has stayed almost constant. Data from 98 ICP Waters sites were tested for trends in concentrations of major chemical components for the 10-year period 1989-1998 using the nonparametric seasonal Kendall test. The sites were grouped into regions and types for meta-analysis. All of the regions had highly significant downward trends in SO₄ ^2?* concentrations. Nitrate concentrations, on the other hand, show no regional patterns of change. Concentrations of base cations declined in most regions. All regions showed tendencies of increasing DOC. The low ANC sites showed the largest rates of recovery. Neither the high NO₃ ^? or low NO₃ ^? groups of sites exhibited significant trends in NO₃ ^? concentrations. Alpine (non-forested) sites show clear and consistent signals of recovery in ANC and pH, and appropriate (relative to SO₄ ^2?* trends) rates of base cation decline.     

Inter-regional comparison of patterns and trends in surface water acidification across the United States

Temporal trends in acid-base chemistry are reported for surface waters in 6 regions of the United States. The lakes and streams are low ANC, dilute systems, selected to represent acid-sensitive aquatic resources in the 6 regions. The predominant trends observed were decreases in lake and stream SO₄ ^2? concentrations in sites east of the Mississippi River, and increases in NO₃ ^? in the Adirondack lake and Catskill stream sites (both located in eastern New York State). Correlations of trend results from all sites with other factors indicated that trends in precipitation volume were highly correlated with the observed trend patterns. From the surface water trend results, three distinct clusters were identified that corresponded to three trend patterns: ‘dilution,’ ‘recovery,’ and ‘acidification.’ These were distributed across the LTM regions, with no particular geographic patterns.     

Trends and patterns in lake acidification in the State of Vermont: Evidence from the Long-Term Monitoring Project

Twenty-four low acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) lakes in Vermont have been monitored since 1980 to characterize their chemical variability, and to determine if they exhibit temporal trends in acid/base chemistry. Many of the lakes exhibit significant decreasing trends in SO₄ ^2? and base cation (C_B) concentrations, but few exhibit significant changes in pH or ANC. An examination of all trend results (significant and insignificant) suggests a tendency for ANC and pH values in these lakes to be increasing, but either the changes are too small, or the number of observations too small, for these trends to be significant. Data from these lakes suggest that the primary responses of surface waters in this region to declining rates of SO₄ ^2? deposition are decreases in SO₄ ^2? concentrations and rates of cation leaching from watershed soils. Decreasing rates of c_b deposition may combine with lower rates of cation leaching to produce declines in c_B that are very similar to measured declines in SO₄ ^2? concentration. Vermont lakes exhibit their lowest ANC values in spring, attributable, for the most part, to dilution of c_B concentrations during spring snow melt. Concentrations of SO₄ ^2? are also more dilute in the spring, but c_B decreases are greater, and the net effect is a lowering of ANC. One quarter of the Vermont lakes monitored exhibit strong seasonality in NO₃ ^? concentrations, with peak concentrations near 70 Μeq L^?1. In these lakes, spring increases in NO₃ ^? concentrations are more important than C_B dilution in producing minimal spring ANC values.     

Experimental acidification of alpine catchments at Sogndal,Norway: Results after 8 years

Manipulations with whole catchments were initiated in Norway in 1983 (RAIN project Reversing Acidification In Norway) to obtain direct experimental evidence relating to the reversibility of soil and water acidification, rate of change, and the relative roles of sulfur and nitrogen. We present here results for soil and runoff chemistry during 8 years of acid addition at Sogndal, a pristine acid-sensitive site in central Norway characterized by gneissic bedrock, thin and patchy soils, and alpine vegetation. Catchment SOG2 receives 100 meq m^?2 yr^?1 H₂SO₄, catchment SOG4 receives a 1∶1 mixture of H₂SO₄ and HNO₃, while catchments SOG1 and SOG3 serve as untreated controls. Acid is applied to the snowpack in April and in 5 portions of 11 mm of pH 3.2 acidified lakewater during the snowfree period. The 8-years of acid addition have caused major changes in runoff chemistry. Concentrations of sulfate and base cations have increased while acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) has decreased. Henriksen's F-factor (change in concentration of non-marine Ca+Mg divided by change in concentration of non-marine SO₄) is about 0.35, but is expected to decrease as soil acidification proceeds. Runoff is acidic, aluminum-rich, and toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. Repeated soil sampling indicates no dramatic trends related to treatment. Year-to-year variations are large, and mask changes expected. The input-output budgets indicate that over the 8-yr period Ca has been depleted by about 5% of the total soil pool of exchangeable Ca. The observed trends are consistent with response predicted by MAGIC, a process-oriented model of soil and water acidification. The gradual increase in nitrate flux from catchment SOG4 may be the first indication of ‘nitrogen saturation’ induced simply by increasing nitrogen deposition.     

Chemical characteristics and temporal trends in eight streams of the Catskill Mountains,New York

Discharge to concentration relationships for eight streams studied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA) Long-Term Monitoring Project (1983–89) indicate acidification of some streams by H₂SO₄ and HNO₃ in atmospheric deposition and by organic acids in soils. Concentrations of major ions in precipitation were similar to those reported at other sites in the northeastern United States. Average concentrations of SO₄ ^2? and NO₃ ^? were similar among streams, but base cation concentrations differed widely, and these differences paralleled the differences in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC). Baseflow ANC is not a reliable predictor of stream acidity at high flow; some streams with high baseflow ANC (>150 Μeq L^?1) declined to near zero ANC at high flow, and one stream with low baseflow ANC (<50 Μeq L^?1) did not approach zero ANC as flow increased. Episodic decreases in ANC and pH during peak flows were associated with increased concentrations of NO₃ ^? and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Aluminum concentrations exceeding 300 Μg L^?1 were observed during peak flows in headwater streams of the Neversink River and Rondout Creek. Seasonal Kendall Tau tests for temporal trends indicate that SO₄ ^2? concentrations in streamwater generally decreased and NO₃ ^? concentrations increased during the period 1983–1989. Combined acid anion concentrations (SO₄ ^2? + NO₃ ^?) were generally unchanged throughout the period of record, indicating both that the status of these streams with respect to acidic deposition is unchanged, and that NO₃ ^? is gradually replacing SO₄ ^2? as the dominant acid anion in the Catskill streams.     

Potential future effects of current levels of sulfur deposition on stream chemistry in the southern blue ridge mountains,U.S.

Using newly available regional data sets we examine the potential for future changes in stream acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) for the Southern Blue Ridge Province (SBRP) of the U.S. as related to (1) levels of S deposition, (2) retention of S within watersheds, (3) current surface water SO₄, and (4) potential historical changes in surface water chemistry. We conclude that, although (1) little change in surface water chemistry (as affected by acidic deposition) likely has occurred in the region to date, and (2) soils are currently retaining a majority of atmospherically deposited S, it is likely that marked increases in surface water SO₄ will occur. Such increases could be accompanied by significant surface water acidification (loss of ANC).     

Temporal and Spatial Variations in Soil Water Chemistry at Three Acid Forest Sites

As acid deposition declines, recovery from acidification is delayed by the fact that the soil processes that earlier buffered against acidification are now being reversed. Monitoring of within catchment processes is thus desirable. However, soil sampling is destructive and not suitable for long-term monitoring at a single site, whereas sampling of soil water with suction lysimeters may be more suitable. In this paper we evaluate 8–11 years of soil water chemistry from E- and B-horizons in three acid forest soil plots within monitored catchments. Five years of sampling also included the C-horizon. To our knowledge, this is the first long-term lysimeter study including the E-horizon showing recovery from acidification, and one of few studies including the B-horizon. Soil water concentrations of SO₄ decreased significantly between –9.5 and –1.4 μeq L^-1 yr^-1, with much higher rates of change at two southern sites compared to a northern site, where levels and changes of deposition were lower. The average annual bulk deposition of S ranged between 3 kg S ha^-1 at the northernmost site to 11 kg S ha^-1 at the southernmost site. The SO₄ decline in E-horizons was smaller than the decline in deposition, which indicated leaching of SO₄ from the O-horizon. At the two southern sites, a weaker decline in SO₄ in the B-horizon compared to the E-horizon indicated desorption of SO₄. The negative trends in SO₄ were to a large extent balanced by decreases in base cations but there were also tendencies of recovery from acidification in soil solution at the southern sites by increasing pH and ANC. However, these were contradicted by increasing Al concentrations. A high influence of marine salts in the early 1990s may have delayed the recovery. Decreasing trends of the Ca/(H⁺)² ratio in the soil solution, most pronounced at one of the southern sites, suggested that the soils were becoming more acidic, although the soil solution tended to recover.     

EVIDENCE OF RECOVERY FROM ACIDIFICATION IN MASSACHUSETTS STREAMS

A ten year survey of water quality in 330 Massachusetts streams was conducted to examine the rate and pattern of recovery from acidification. Meta-analysis was used to combine the results of the 330 non-parametric trend tests into an overall test for trend in a variety of water quality variables including pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), and major inorganic ions. Analysis of trends in the raw data indicates both pH and ANC are increasing. After detrending for variations in stream runoff, we estimate the streams are recovering from acidification at a rate of +0.021 pH units/year and +2.4 μeq/L/year, for pH and ANC respectively. These trends appear to be related to declines in sulfate (–1.8 μeq/L/year), while base cation trends were mixed. Meta-analysis reveals the trends are not always homogeneous between seasons or between sites. While it is commonly assumed that the low ANC systems are most ‘sensitive’ to changes in acid or base inputs, we found the greatest rates of change in ANC were associated with the high ANC systems. The greatest increases in pH were seen in the low ANC streams as expected. The results also suggest streams respond quickly to changes in precipitation inputs and stream monitoring networks may be valuable as an early detection technique for changes in environmental quality.     

Trends in the Chemistry of Acidified Bohemian Lakes from 1984 to 1995: I. Major Solutes

Temporal changes in major solute concentrations in six Czech Republic lakes were monitored during the period 1984–1995. Four chronically-acidic lakes had decreasing concentrations of strong-acid anions (C_SA = SO₄ ^2- + NO^{3 -} + Cl^-), at rates of 3.0 to 9.0 μeq L^-1 yr^-1. Decreases in SO₄ ^2-, NO₃ ^-, and Cl^- (at rates up to 5.1 μeq L^-1 yr^-1, 3.2 μeq L^-1 yr^-1, and 0.6 μeq L^-1 yr^-1, respectively) occurred. The response to the decrease in deposition of S was rapid and annual decline of SO₄ ^2- in lake water was directly proportional to SO₄ ^2- concentrations in the acidified lakes. Changes in NO₃ ^- concentrations were modified by biological consumption within the lakes. The decline in C^SA was accompanied in the four most acidic lakes by decreases in Al_T, increases in pH at rates of 0.011 to 0.016 pH yr^{- 1}, and decreases of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ (but not Na⁺) in three lakes. The acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) increased significantly in all six lakes. Increases in base cation concentrations (CB = Ca²⁺ + Na⁺ + Mg²⁺ + K⁺) were the principal contributing factor to ANC increases in the two lakes with positive ANC, whereas decrease in C_SA was the major factor in ANC increases in the four chronically-acidic lakes. The continued chemical recovery of these lakes depends on the uncertain trends in N deposition, the cycling of N in the lakes and their catchments, and the magnitude of the future decrease in S deposition.     

Seasonal and long-term temporal patterns in the chemistry of Adirondack lakes

There is considerable interest in the recovery of surface waters from acidification by acidic deposition. The Adirondack Long-Term Monitoring (ALTM) program was established in 1982 to evaluate changes in the chemistry of 17 Adirondack lakes. The ALTM lakes exhibited relatively uniform concentrations of SO₄ ^2?. Lake-to-lake variability in acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) was largely due to differences in the supply of basic cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺; C_B) to drainage waters. Lakes in the western and southern Adirondacks showed elevated concentrations of NO₃ ^?, while lakes in the central and eastern Adirondacks had lower NO₃ ^? concentrations during both peak and base flow periods. The ALTM lakes exhibited seasonal variations in ANC. Lake ANC was maximum during the late summer or autumn, and lowest during spring snowmelt. In general Adirondack lakes with ANC near 100 Μeq L^?1 during base flow periods may experience decreases in ANC to near or below 0 Μeq L^?1 during high flow periods. The ALTM lakes have exhibited long-term temporal trends in water chemistry. Most lakes have demonstrated declining SO₄ ^2?, consistent with decreases in SO₂ emissions and SO₄ ^2? in precipitation in the eastern U.S. Reductions in SO₄ ^2? have not coincided with a recovery in ANC. Rather, ANC values have declined in some ALTM lakes. This pattern is most likely due to increasing concentrations of NO₃ ^? that occurred in most of the ALTM drainage lakes.     

Sensitive surface waters — A UK perspective

This overview of sensitive surface waters in the United Kingdom has focused on palaeolimnological studies, the estimation of acidification values according the Henriksen, and correlation with non-marine sulphate values of available chemical data and trends in salmonid populations. The palaeolimnological studies of lakes with unafforested catchments in Galloway led to the conclusion that changes in water acidity, since the 1800's, have been caused by acid deposition. Significant differences in stream chemistry between mature conifer forests and adjacent moorland catchments, in both Wales and Scotland, suggest that afforestation as well as acid deposition have contributed to the decline and, in some areas, the elimination of the salmonid population.     

The relationship between salmonid fish densities and critical ANC at exceeded and non-exceeded stream sites in Scotland

The critical load concept is now accepted throughout Europe as a means of estimating the sensitivity of key components of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to atmospheric inputs of sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N). Current UK freshwater maps, based on steady-state water chemistry, are derived using a critical acid neutralising capacity (ANC_LIM) value of zero eql^–1, which is based on the probability of occurrence of salmonid fish in lakes. In practice most acidification damage to salmonid fish occurs in nursery streams at the emergence and first feeding stages. In general a clear relationship exists between salmon (Salmo salar L.) and trout (S. trutta L.) densities in Scottish streams and ANC values. However, differences between sites depend on which ANC value is used (eg maximum, minimum or mean). By contrast, when the exceedance of critical loads is compared with salmonid densities the relationship is less clear because many exceeded sites have good salmonid densities. Many of these latter sites are found in north-west Scotland where sea-salt inputs are high and ANC is usually greater than zero eql^–1, although diatom-based studies indicated slight acidification of these waters, with a point of change in diatom flora close to ANC=20 eql^–1. These false exceedances are probably due to preferential adsorption of acidic SO₄ deposition which results in an overestimate of exceedance values. All sites with a mean ANC 0 are fishless but some sites with negative minimum ANC values had normal salmonid densities. Consequently a mean ANC_LIM value of zero in the critical load equations for UK freshwaters appears to be too low to protect salmonid stocks. Values between 20–50 eql^–1 represent a more realistic range if prevention of long term damage to salmonid stocks is to be achieved.     

Temporal trends in low alkalinity lakes of the Upper Midwest (1983–1989)

The Upper Midwest contains a large concentration of low alkalinity lakes located across a west to east gradient of increasing deposition acidity. We present temporal trends in the chemistry of 28 lakes (4 in Minnesota, 13 in Wisconsin, and 11 in Michigan) representative of the acid-sensitive resource of the region. Lakes were sampled three times per year between 1983 and 1989. Temporal trends in SO₄ ^2? were all negative in direction, consistent with a regional decline in SO₂ emissions and atmospheric SO₄ ^2? deposition. However, these trends occurred predominantly in higher ANC (100 to 225 Μeq L^?1), non-seepage lakes and were associated with increases in ANC and pH in only one of the 8 lakes. ANC decreased in a second group of lakes, usually in concert with decreased [Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺], a response we associate with a severe drought. Disruptions in hydrologic flowpaths caused one lake to acidify rapidly after inputs of ANC-rich groundwater ceased and appeared to cause ANC and [Ca²⁺+Mg²⁺] declines in a second lake by reducing stream-water inflow. Our analysis was thus complicated by hydrochemical effects of climatic variability, which confounded trends related to acidic deposition. Periods longer than 6 yr are needed to transcend climatic signals and verify subtle trends related to atmospheric pollutants.     

Fluxes and Trends of Nitrogen and Sulphur Compounds at Integrated Monitoring Sites in Europe

The International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring (ICP IM) is part of the effects monitoring strategy of the UN/ECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. We calculated input-output budgets and trends of N and S compounds, base cations and hydrogen ions for 22 forested ICP IM catchments/plots across Europe. The site-specific trends were calculated for deposition and runoff water fluxes and concentrations using monthly data and non-parametric methods. The reduction in deposition of S and N compounds, caused by the new Gothenburg Protocol of the Convention, was estimated for the year 2010 using atmospheric transfer matrices and official emissions. Statistically significant downward trends of SO₄, NO₃ and NH₄ bulk deposition (fluxes or concentrations) were observed at 50% of the ICP IM sites. Implementation of the new UN/ECE emission reduction protocol will further decrease the deposition of S and N at the ICP IM sites in western and northwestern parts of Europe. Sites with higher N deposition and lower C/N-ratios clearly showed an increased risk of elevated N leaching. Decreasing SO₄ and base cation trends in output fluxes and/or concentrations of surface/soil water were commonly observed at the ICP IM sites. At several sites in Nordic countries decreasing NO₃ and H⁺ trends (increasing pH) were also observed. These results partly confirm the effective implementation of emission reduction policy in Europe. However, clear responses were not observed at all sites, showing that recovery at many sensitive sites can be slow and that the response at individual sites may vary greatly.     

Assessing the contribution of individual dissolved ions to depressions in acid neutralising capacity of streams in the adirondack and Catskill Mountains,New York

Methods for quantifying the influence of different ions on depressions in ANC, based on those used by Molot et al. (1989), have been employed on streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains of New York. Streams were intensively monitored during the Episodic Response Project of the US EPA Baseflow values were determined for each variable, and for each low-ANC sample the proportion of ANC depression (relative to baseflow) contributed by each ion was calculated, In the Catskill streams Ca²⁺ dilution and NO₃ ^– increases were major causes of ANC depression; SO₄ ^2– dilution and Al mobilisation increased ANC. In the Adirondack streams Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ dilution, and NO₃ ^– and SO₄ ^2– increases, all contributed to ANC depressions. Inter-stream differences in results were linked to differences in stream acidity; in both regions Ca²⁺ dilution dominated ANC depressions in circumneutral streams, whereas NO₃ ^– increases were dominant in acidic streams. Organic anions contributed more to ANC depressions in acidic streams. Al buffering, was negligible in circumneutral streams, but more than halved ANC depressions in the most acidic stream. Individual base cation behaviour differed widely, suggesting that caution should be used when treating them as a uniform group.     

Trends in surface water acidification at ecological monitoring sites in southeastern Canada (1981–1993)

Atmospheric deposition and surface water chemistry have been monitored intensively at 5 geologically “sensitive” sites in southeastern Canada. The sites receive differing acid inputs that span the entire range found in Canada. Surface water data collected at 9 stations from 1981 to 1993 for SO ₄ ^2? , NO ₃ ^? , Alkalinity, DOC, pH, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ have been analyzed to detect monotonic trends. Similarities between the temporal patterns and trends for SO ₄ ^2? in deposition and surface water suggest that they are strongly linked at our sites. Our 13-year datasets showed significant negative SO ₄ ^2? trends at the 3 Ontario sites and a positive trend in Nova Scotia. A climatically-induced SO ₄ ^2? increase in northwestern Ontario has been reversed. Mobilization and export of adsorbed SO ₄ ^2? and/or reoxidized S from the basins of central Ontario sites is delaying their recovery. Two of our 9 stations (in Quebec and central Ontario) are continuing to acidify. The 2 Nova Scotia stations have the highest DOC levels and both exhibit a decreasing trend. Ionic compensation for declining SO ₄ ^2? varies from station to station, sometimes involving an Alk increase, sometimes a base cation decrease, and sometimes more complex combinations. Additional factors (e.g. climatic variation) also influence variable trends, and data records longer than those presently available will be needed to unequivocally verify acidification recovery.     

Lake and watershed neutralization strategies

The Experimental Watershed Liming Study (EWLS) evaluated the application of CaCO₃, to a forested watershed to mitigate the acidification of surface water. During October 1989, 6.9 Mg CaCC₃/ha was applied by helicopter to two subcatchments of about 50% (102.5 ha) of the Woods Lake watershed area. The EWLS team investigated the response to treatment of soils (chemistry and microbial processes), vegetation, wetland, stream and lake waters, and phytoplankton and fish, and applied the Integrated Lake Watershed Acidification (ILWAS) model in predicting a watershed treatment duration of up to 50 years. Observations showed a gradual change in pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) and Ca²⁺ in the water column; direct lake additions of CaCO₃ (three different times) were characterized by abrupt changes following base addition and subsequent rapid reacidification. Moreover, the watershed treatment eliminated the snowmelt acidification of the near-shore region of the lake observed during direct lake treatments. Positive ANC water in the tributary and near-shore area improved conditions for fish reproduction and for a viable fish population. Budgets for 12-month periods before and after the watershed treatment showed that the lake shifted from a source of ANC to a sink due to retention of elevated inputs of Ca²⁺ from the watershed CaCO₃ application.     

Trends in Sulfate,Base Cations and H+ Concentrations in Bulk Precipitation and Throughfall at Integrated Monitoring Sites in Finland 1989-1995

Temporal trends in sulfate, base cation (Ca2+ + Mg2+ + K+), and H+ ion concentrations in bulk precipitation and throughfall samples collected over a seven year period (1989-95) in four forested catchments in Finland are presented. The catchments are in remote locations and span the boreal zone (61-69 °N). The stands represent old, undisturbed forests, and are composed of varying proportions of Scots pine, Norway spruce and deciduous species (mainly Betula spp.). Monthly SO₄ ^2- and H+ ion concentrations in bulk precipitation averaged over the study period and catchments were: 18.7 µmol L^-1 and 32.3 µmol L^-1. The corresponding values for throughfall were: 37.4 µmol L^-1 and 32.4 µmol L^-1. Sulfate and H+ ion concentrations in bulk precipitation and throughfall both showed negative linear trends, which were significant (p < 0.05) for the three southernmost catchments. Concentrations and trend slope decreased northwards (e.g., bulk precipitation SO₄ ^2- slope estimates: ^-1.6 to ^-1.0 µmol L^-1 yr^-1). The decline was greater for throughfall than for bulk precipitation, indicating a proportionally greater reduction in dry deposition than wet. The sum of base cation concentrations averaged 12.1 µmol(+) L^-1 in bulk precipitation and 83.1 µmol(+) L^-1 in throughfall. There were no significant trends in the sum of base cations (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the reported reduction in S emissions over the study period has resulted in a significant reduction in the acidity and SO₄ ^2- concentration of bulk precipitation, and this reduction has has been reflected in throughfall concentrations. The greatest reduction has taken place in the southern part of the country.     

Recent Temporal Patterns in the Chemistry of Small,Acid-sensitive Lakes in Central Ontario,Canada

We monitored the chemistry of 603 small water bodies in three acid-sensitive regions of central Ontario, Canada (Algoma n=235, Muskoka n=216, Sudbury n=152) between 1988^-1996 to determine whether they have responded to recent SO2 emission reductions, and whether any chemical changes were related to lake characteristics. During the study, 27-56% of lakes declined in SO₄ ^2- concentrations, 41-57% declined in base cation concentrations, but only 26-28% increased in pH or ANC (acidity status). Increases in pH were greatest in lakes with low ANC, but had weak relationships to lake color or volume. No consistent trends were observed for DOC, NO₃ ^- or TP concentrations. Clearly, the long-term biological recovery of these sensitive aquatic ecosystems will depend on interactions among several environmental stressors, including acidification.