Clear Waters Story Map

National parks in the Sierra Nevada protect over 1200 lakes. Mountain lakes provide habitat for wild plants and animals and supply fresh water to downstream farms and communities. Their rugged settings and clear blue water make them popular hiking destinations. But the condition of these lakes is affected by deposition of air pollutants, warming temperatures, and non-native species. In this story map, readers join Sierra Nevada Inventory & Monitoring Network field scientists as they travel to remote areas and study lake ecosystems. The information they gather will help stewards make the best science-based decisions for our national parks.

Click on the image below to explore this story map, and travel with a lake monitoring field crew to collect water quality data at remote mountain lakes.

Introductory text and image for Clear Waters story map.

The story map was developed by Marisa Monroe, Geoscientist-in-the-Parks intern in 2018, and Sierra Nevada Network Data Manager Alex Eddy, and is an outreach product associated with the Sierra Nevada Network Inventory and Monitoring program Lake Monitoring Project.