Mercury Transport During Snowmelt in Three Mountain Watersheds in Northern Utah, USA

Abstract:

Mercury (Hg) transport during snowmelt is widely recognized as a significant source of Hg to high elevation lakes and streams. However, it is not well understood to what extent Hg is associated with suspended sediment versus dissolved organic matter during snowmelt runoff. To investigate Hg transport during snowmelt, we collected samples for filtered and unfiltered total Hg (THg) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in snowpack and snowmelt runoff across three snow-dominated watersheds in northern Utah: Logan River, Provo River, and Little Cottonwood Creek. The watersheds were selected to cover a range of geologic and hydrologic conditions typical of the Rocky Mountain region. Initial results show that snowpack THg concentrations were similar across the watersheds (0.87 – 1.69 ng/L) but river THg concentrations were highly variable. The Provo River showed the highest THg concentrations approaching 6 ng/L during peak flows, whereas maximum THg concentrations in the Logan River were <2 ng/L. Little Cottonwood Creek showed intermediate THg concentrations. THg and DOC showed strong positive correlation in the Provo River (R²=0.68) but were not correlated in the Logan River (R²=0.04). Notably, the Provo River showed the highest fraction of “dissolved” THg (calculated as the fraction of filtered/unfiltered concentration) averaging 75% compared with the other sites where the “dissolved” fraction was <45%. These results suggest that the majority of THg is transported in association with DOC in the Provo River but is more strongly associated with suspended sediments in the Logan River and Little Cottonwood Creek. These findings have implications for understanding Hg cycling in the Provo River watershed where Jordanelle Reservoir has fish consumption advisories due elevated Hg concentrations. The dissolved load of THg, possibly associated with DOC, is likely methylated in Jordanelle Reservoir where it bio-accumulates up the food web.