2017 Monitoring and tracking wet nitrogen deposition at Rocky Mountain National Park
Natural Resource Report
2019/1905
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Abstract
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the National Park Service (NPS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the Nitrogen Deposition Reduction Plan (NDRP) in 2007 to address the effects and trends of nitrogen deposition at Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP). The agencies chose a glidepath approach to reduce wet nitrogen deposition to a level of 1.5 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year (kg N/ha/yr) by the year 2032 to protect sensitive ecosystems within RMNP from adverse effects. Another goal of the NDRP is to “reverse the trend of increasing nitrogen deposition at the park.” Trends in wet deposition data were analyzed at three sites in RMNP and three regional sites outside of the park. Wet nitrogen deposition (5-year rolling average) at Loch Vale in RMNP was 3.3 kg N/ha/yr, which is above the glidepath (2.4 kg N/ha/yr) in 2017. Wet nitrogen deposition has not decreased at RMNP or other sites in the region over the long-term. Ammonium concentrations showed a statistically significant increasing trend at all sites and nitrate concentrations showed a significant decreasing trend at four of the five sites over
the period of record. In more recent years (2011-2017), wet nitrogen deposition showed no
significant trend at monitoring sites in RMNP. Ammonium concentrations also showed no significant trend over the short-term, however nitrate concentrations did significantly decrease at two of the six sites.
Suggested Citation
Kristi Morris, Mast, M.A., Wetherbee, G.A., Baron, J., Cheatham, J., Bromberg, J., Devore, L., Hou, J., Gebhart, K., Bell, M., Gay, D., Olson, M., Weinmann, T., Bowker, D., 2019, 2017 Monitoring and tracking wet nitrogen deposition at Rocky Mountain National Park: Natural Resource Report 2019/1905, vi, 37 p.
Study Area
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Other Government Series |
| Title | 2017 Monitoring and tracking wet nitrogen deposition at Rocky Mountain National Park |
| Series title | Natural Resource Report |
| Series number | 2019/1905 |
| Year Published | 2019 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | National Park Service |
| Contributing office(s) | Colorado Water Science Center |
| Description | vi, 37 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| Other Geospatial | Rocky Mountain National Park |