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Full-Text Articles in Fresh Water Studies
Biogeochemistry Of A Saline, Alkaline, Terminal Lake Ecosystem In Transition; Walker Lake, Nevada, Katherine Lynn Willever
Biogeochemistry Of A Saline, Alkaline, Terminal Lake Ecosystem In Transition; Walker Lake, Nevada, Katherine Lynn Willever
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Walker Lake is a saline, alkaline, terminal lake ecosystem located in west-central Nevada. For over one hundred years, anthropogenic streamflow diversions within the Walker River Basin have ultimately led to little or no water reaching Walker Lake, the basin’s terminus for water flow. These diversions have resulted in a >46 meter decrease in the lake surface altitude and increases in salinity and dissolved salt constituents that have caused the elimination of native fish species. This study examines how the lack of freshwater inflow has altered the physical, chemical, and microbiological structure of Walker Lake during the lake’s ongoing desiccation.
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