Little Rock Lake Experiment at North Temperate Lakes LTER: pH and Alkalinity 1983 - 2000

The Little Rock Acidification Experiment was a joint project involving the USEPA (Duluth Lab), University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Superior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Little Rock Lake is a bi-lobed lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin, USA. In 1983 the lake was divided in half by an impermeable curtain and from 1984-1989 the northern basin of the lake was acidified with sulfuric acid in three two-year stages. The target pHs for 1984-5, 1986-7, and 1988-9 were 5.7, 5.2, and 4.7, respectively. Starting in 1990 the lake was allowed to recover naturally with the curtain still in place. Data were collected through 2000. The main objective was to understand the population, community, and ecosystem responses to whole-lake acidification. Funding for this project was provided by the USEPA and NSF. pH and alkalinity of the treatment and reference basins of Little Rock Lake are measured at one station in the deepest part of each basin at the top and bottom of the epilimnion, mid-thermocline, and top, middle, and bottom of the hypolimnion. During the course of the study, three different types of electrodes were used to measure pH. Sampling Frequency: varies - Number of sites: 2