Characteristics of Two Mineral Springs in Northern Maine

摘要

We sampled soil and water at two mineral springs (salt licks) in Baxter State Park, ME, and describe chemical characteristics of each. One site (Wadleigh) is a small spring-fed pond and the other site (Hudson) is a spring with water emerging at the base of a bedrock outcrop; both drain into nearby streams. These sites are frequently visited by Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) and by Alces americanus (Moose). Potassium (K) and sodium (Na) concentrations in water were substantially higher at licks than at upstream control sites-Wadleigh Lick: K = 2.33 vs. 0.31 mg/L, Na = 15.7 vs. 1.9 mg/L; Hudson Lick: K = 0.95 vs. 0.19 mg/L, Na = 9.4 vs. 0.9 mg/L. Chloride at the Hudson Lick was 120 vs. 10.7 mu eq/L in water upstream. Exchangeable calcium (Ca), K, and magnesium (Mg) in soil at the Wadleigh site were typical of Maine soils but Na was greatly elevated. The elevated concentrations of K and Na in the water are typical of groundwater that has circulated through bedrock, instead of overlying till.