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Hydrology of the Goat Lake watershed, Snohomish County, Washington, 1982-87

Water-Resources Investigations Report 88-4235
By: , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/wri884235

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Abstract

The Goat Lake watershed in Snohomish County, Washington, functions as an ' experimental watershed ' for long-term studies to determine the effects of acidic precipitation on water resources. Data have been collected there by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1982. The watershed is in a wilderness area of the Cascade Range and is downwind of an industrial and urban area that produces chemical compounds found in acidic precipitation. The lake is considered sensitive to acidic inputs from atmospheric deposition and streamflow. The mean annual discharge of the Goat Lake outflow is 35 cu ft/sec; precipitation on the watershed is calculated to be about 170 in/yr. The inflow to Goat Lake is sufficient to replace the entire contents of the lake basin on an average every 21.5 days, or 17 times/year. Water in Goat Lake, and that of the inlet and outlet, is of low ionic strength and of calcium-bicarbonate type. The lake, although considered oligotrophic, is sufficiently deep to stratify thermally, and summer dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the hypolimnion are depressed. Even though alkalinity and specific conductance at Goat Lake are in the range considered sensitive to acidic inputs , the pH of water in the lake has consistently ranged from 6.1 to 7.2, indicating that the lake is not acidified at this time. (USGS)
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Hydrology of the Goat Lake watershed, Snohomish County, Washington, 1982-87
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 88-4235
DOI 10.3133/wri884235
Edition -
Year Published 1989
Language ENGLISH
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey ; Books and Open-File Reports [distributor],
Description iv, 44 p. :ill. ;28 cm.
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