Fish population losses from Adirondack Lakes: The role of surface water acidity and acidification

Changes over time in the species composition of fish communities in Adirondack lakes were assessed to determine (1) the approximate numbers offish populations that have been lost and (2) the degree to which fish population losses may have resulted from surface water acidification and acidic deposition. Information on the present‐day status offish communities was obtained by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, which surveyed 1469 Adirondack lakes in 1984–1987 (53% of the total ponded waters in the Adirondack ecological zone). Two hundred and ninety‐five of these lakes had been surveyed in 1929–1934 during the first statewide biological survey; 720 had been surveyed in one or more years prior to 1970. Sixteen to 19% of the lakes with adequate historical data appeared to have lost one or more fish populations as a result of acidification. Brook trout and acid‐sensitive minnow species had experienced the most widespread effects. Populations of brook trout and acid‐sensitive minnows had been lost apparently as a result of acidification from 11% and 19%, respectively, of the lakes with confirmed historical occurrence of these taxa. By contrast, fish species that tend to occur primarily in lower elevation and larger lakes, such as largemouth and smallmouth bass and brown trout, have experienced little to no documented adverse effects. Lakes that were judged to have lost fish populations as a result of acidification had significantly lower; pH and, in most cases, also had higher estimated concentrations of inorganic aluminum and occurred at higher elevations than did lakes with the fish species still present. No other lake characteristics were consistently associated with fish population losses attributed to acidification. The exact numbers and proportions of fish populations affected could not be determined because of limitations on the quantity and quality of historical data. Lakes for which we had adequate historical data to assess long‐term trends in fish communities were significantly larger and deeper and have higher pH than do Adirondack lakes in general; thus, fish communities adversely affected by acidification and acidic deposition may be underrepresented in this study.