Effects of acidic deposition on the chemistry of headwater streams: A comparison between Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, and Jamieson Creek, British Columbia

Abstract

Streamwater samples were collected from watersheds in Jamieson Creek, British Columbia, and the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, to compare the chemistry of drainage waters which are unimpacted and impacted by acidic deposition. Qualitative and quantitative differences in the chemistry of headwater streams were evident. Principal among these were a shift from acidification by organic acids to strong acids, increased concentrations of aqueous Al, and a change in Al speciation from largely organic to inorganic forms. In both watersheds, streamwater acidity is ultimately neutralized by the release of basic cations.