Lake Barco
| Lake Barco | |
|---|---|
 Scientific buoy on Lake Barco | |
  Lake Barco | |
| Coordinates | 29°40′34″N82°00′31″W/ 29.6760°N 82.0085°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Basincountries | United States |
Lake Barcois a lake inPutnam County, Florida,United States. It is within theOrdway-Swisher Biological Stationof theInstitute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.[1]It is roughly circular, about 200 metres (660 ft) in diameter. The nearest settlement isMelrose, Florida,about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the northwest.
Characteristics
[edit]Lake Barco is asinkhole lake,typical of the region, where unconsolidated deposits on the surface have slumped into the highly soluble limestone of the upperFloridan aquifer.[2]The organic-rich sediments of the lake bottom lie on an unconfined aquifer made up mostly of sands. Below this are the unconsolidated clays and sands of theHawthorn Group,through which water can penetrate, and below this theOcala Limestoneof the upper Floridan aquifer.[3]
Groundwater monitoring wells have been placed around Lake Barco and nearbyLake Suggsto study thehydrologyof the area.[4]
The lake has a mean annual temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) and median rainfall of 1,280 millimetres (50 in). It is recharged throughout the year.[5]The lake is fed from the north and northeast by shallow groundwater, which seeps out towards the west and south. Deeper groundwater also flows below the lake.[2]
Fromdeuteriumand oxygen-18 isotope dating it is evident that some water evaporates from the lake, while other water flows downward towards the Ocala limestone.[3]The lake seems to have started to become more acidic around 1950 due to absorption ofsulfate(SO4) created by industrial processes from the atmosphere.[6]The lake modifies the chemistry of the water that flows through it. As the water moves through the sediments in the lake bottom, which are rich in organics, the water is depleted in oxygen.[2]
Ecology
[edit]The lake is surrounded by evergreen forest and mixed shrub/grassland. Terrestrial amphibians, including the threatenedgopher frog,use the lake as a breeding ground. It is an important watering hole for mammals and birds. TheNational Ecological Observatory Networksamples the lake for aquatic organisms such as surface water microbes,macroinvertebrates,andzooplankton.[1]
References
[edit]Citations
- ^ab"Ordway-Swisher Biological Station - Barco Lake | NSF NEON | Open Data to Understand our Ecosystems".www.neonscience.org.Retrieved20 January2021.
- ^abcMueller & Helsel 1996,p. 52-53.
- ^abFitts 2012,p. 488.
- ^"Environmental Monitoring".Ordway-Swisher Biological Station - UF/IFAS.Retrieved19 July2020.
- ^Kendall & McDonnell 1999,p. 766.
- ^Sullivan 2010,p. 93.
Sources
- Fitts, Charles R. (2012).Groundwater Science.Academic Press.ISBN978-0-12-384705-8.Retrieved2013-07-22.
- Kendall, C.; McDonnell, J.J. (1999-01-11).Isotope Tracers in Catchment Hydrology.Elsevier Science.ISBN978-0-08-092915-6.Retrieved2013-07-22.
- Mueller, David K.; Helsel, Dennis R. (1996)."Field Studies of Karst Terrain".Circular.The Survey.Retrieved2013-07-22.
- Sullivan, Timothy J (2010-12-12).Aquatic Effects of Acidic Deposition.Taylor & Francis.ISBN978-1-56670-416-8.Retrieved2013-07-22.