Rivers and lakes are dying Rivers and lakes are dying In Germany, a mention of acid rain immediately makes people think of dying forests, whereas Norwegians associate it with the death of fish in lakes and rivers. Thousands of trout stocks have been lost for ever. Parts of the Norwegian natural heritage have literally died out, and many rivers are only kept alive by regular liming. There are several causes of acidification, and various mechanisms by which it may occur.
Acid rain falling on water bodies has a direct effect.
In areas where soils are acid, runoff from the soil transports acidic water, which may also contain aluminium, into lakes and rivers. Soil acidification may be caused by acid rain, but other factors may also be involved. For example, if pasture reverts to coniferous forest, the soil will become more acidic. Rain carrying large amounts of sea salt may also result in acidic runoff even though the rain itself is not acidic. Salty rain leaches acid components out of the soil and transports them to the rivers.