Abstract:Major inorganic ions and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in stream water, groundwater, groundwater seeps and springs were measured in the Corral Canyon meadow complex and watershed in the Toquima Mountains of central Nevada, USA. The purpose of the study was to determine whether stream water or groundwater was the source of water that supports vegetation in the meadow complex. Water samples from the watershed and meadow complex were mixed cation-HCO 3 type. Stream water sampled at different locations in the meadow complex showed variations in temperature, pH and specific conductance. The cation-anion proportions for stream water were similar to groundwater, groundwater seeps and runoff from the meadow complex. Stable oxygen isotope ratios for stream water ( 17Ð1 to 17Ð6‰ versus VSMOW) and groundwater and groundwater seeps in the meadow site ( 17Ð0 to 17Ð7‰ versus VSMOW) were similar, and consistent with a local meteoric origin. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the υ 13 C DIC for stream water ( 12Ð1 to 15Ð0‰ versus VPDB) were different from that of groundwater from the meadow complex ( 15Ð3 to 19Ð9‰ versus VPDB), suggesting different carbon evolution pathways. However, a simple model based on cation-υ 13 C DIC suggests that stream water was being recharged by shallow groundwater, groundwater seeps and runoff from the meadow complex. This leads to the conclusion that the source of water that supports vegetation in the meadow complex was primarily groundwater. The results of this study suggest that multiple chemical and stable carbon isotope tracers are useful in determining the source of water that supports vegetation in meadow complexes in small alpine watersheds.
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