I read with interest the article about the U.S. Forest Service 40-year study of Colorado high mountain lakes to determine if climate change/air pollution was affecting the lakes. In spite of numerous articles in the Summit Daily News over the years, I conclude that the authors conclude there is no significant change.

As the study set out to determine whether regional trends in air pollution or climate were impacting sulfate and nitrogen levels, they determined that these trends only served as an explanation for sulfate levels in around half the lakes and nitrogen levels in around 30% of the lakes, Farruggia said. 

While most lakes have experienced chemical changes in the past 40 years captured by the dataset, the magnitude and direction of the changes varied at each individual lake. Farruggia described it as “mosaic of regional to local factors” — erosion, drought, land cover, geography, size, elevation and more — that are all interacting to shape the chemical trends and changes at each location. 

I hope that readers of the Summit Daily News note the conclusions of this 40-year study, i.e. no climate change detected in 40 years of study!