The critical loads (CL) of atmospheric sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition are the levels of sustained atmospheric deposition of S, N, or acidity below which harmful effects to sensitive ecosystems do not occur according to current scientific understanding. In this project, E&S calculated CLs needed to affect chemical recovery of Adirondack Mountain lakes in New York. This research for NYSERDA built on an earlier E&S research project, completed in 2006, in which the same research team modeled the acid-base response of 70 Adirondack lakes in response to historic acidic deposition and several scenarios of future emissions controls using the Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments (MAGIC) and the Photosynthesis and EvapoTranspiration BioGeoChemistry (PnET-BGC) model. Project completion date was March 2014.
