Environmental News Network - Most Adirondack Lakes Will Likely Become Unsuitable for Trout

Details: By Cornell University; 04.Jan

Climate warming and lake browning – when dissolved organic matter from forests turns the water tea-brown – are making the bottom of most lakes in the Adirondacks unlivable for cold water species such as trout, salmon and whitefish during the summer.

Cheryl Porter

Climate warming and lake browning – when dissolved organic matter from forests turns the water tea-brown – are making the bottom of most lakes in the Adirondacks unlivable for cold water species such as trout, salmon and whitefish during the summer.

A new study, “Concurrent warming and browning eliminate cold-water fish habitat in many temperate lakes,” forthcoming in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that only about 5% of Adirondack lakes may continue to maintain water that is cold and oxygenated enough to support cold-water species given current trends.

New York’s Adirondack Park is a state protected area where forests and lakes have been buffered from heavy development and pollution. It serves as a stronghold for many cold-loving wildlife species.

Magazine menu

Most Adirondack Lakes Will Likely Become Unsuitable for Trout