If the contamination worsens, wildflowers could disappear and algae could bloom in alpine lakes, changing the waters’ look and endangering fish, scientists told The Denver Post.
Chasm Lake sits 2,500 feet below the dramatic summit of Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park at an elevation of 11,800 feet. The upper 900 feet of Longs’ east face is sheer vertical granite. The lake is enclosed on three sides by steep rock walls, making it one of the most spectacular alpine cirques in Colorado.
Baron, who has spent her career studying excess nitrogen’s effect on the park, said she has seen the beginnings of algae growing in mountain lakes because they are getting nutrients from increased nitrogen in the air. and other federally protected areas. That haze is created by severe ozone pollution in the region. And Rocky Mountain National Parkto the Air Quality Control Commission, which establishes rules to regulate air pollution in the state. The most recent report was presented in August, and the next one is due in 2029.
That pollution is generated by agriculture, primarily in Weld and Larimer counties. Cattle waste, particularly from feed lots, contains ammonia and fertilizer poured onto crops contains nitrogen. Overall, the number of beef cattle in the region increased between 2018 and 2022, which was the period studied, and the number of dairy cattle reached maximum capacity in 2021, according to the latest report.
“Sometimes when you control air emissions you could end up creating a water quality problem or you could end up with practices that increase greenhouse gasses,” she said. Some are testing whether wetting a pen’s surface ahead of a storm reduces the amount of pollutants lifted into the air. Others are looking at whether changing the nitrogen and protein in animal feed would make a difference.Historic Estes Park Tram overlooking Rocky Mountain National Park back in operation
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