Monitoring Lakes and Wetlands

A mountain campsite with a lake view.

Mountain lakes and ponds are keystone features of the subalpine environment in mountain parks. These typically small, high-elevation water bodies provide vital habitat for aquatic organisms, such as amphibians and dragonflies, and are a source of food, especially insects, for many terrestrial organisms, including bats and passerine birds. Mountain lakes are also prized destinations for hikers, anglers, and climbers.

See more about what it is like to be a researcher conducting monitoring in mountain lakes in the high Sierra Nevada in this video, Seeking Clarity, or through a story map, Clear Waters: Tracking Change in Sierra Nevada Lakes, that takes you on a multi-day wilderness sampling trip with a field crew.

Monitoring Lakes

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  Sierra Nevada Network

  Lakes

  Each summer, field scientists hike to remote lakes in the high country to collect water samples and survey amphibians.

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  North Coast & Cascades Network

  Mountain Lakes

  Mountain lakes and ponds are important indicators of watershed condition and may provide the most efficient early detection of pollutants.

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  Central Alaska Network

  Shallow Lakes

  Lakes and ponds provide critical habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals and play a critical role in carbon sequestration.

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  Southwest Alaska Network

  Water Quantity

  Hydrology and geology are the two principal drivers dictating structure and function of all aquatic systems.

Monitoring Wetlands

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  Rocky Mountain Network

  Wetland Ecological Integrity

  Relative to their area, wetlands support a disproportionate amount of biodiversity.

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  Sierra Nevada Network

  Wetlands

  Wetlands provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, play an important role in the life cycle of many invertebrates and amphibians.

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  Greater Yellowstone Network

  Amphibians & Wetlands

  The loss of wetlands, not surprisingly, coincides with the decline of organisms, like amphibians, that depend on them.