Precipitation and four brownwater streams in southwestern Nova Scotia were sampled for 3–5 yr. Precipitation cation chemistry was dominated by H+ (44% of cation equivalents) and Na+ (38%), while anions were dominated by Cl− (44%), SO42− (41%), and NO3− (15%); mean annual pH was 4.6, and acidity was correlated with concentrations of SO42− (r = 0.90) and NO3− (r = 0.82). Surface water chemistry was dominated by Na+ (51% of cation equivalents), Mg2+ (17%), and Ca2+ (16%), while H+ averaged only 4%; anions were dominated by Cl− (53%), organic anions (23%), and SO42− (21%); H+ was not strongly related to concentrations of other ionic constituents (the most consistent correlation was with sulfate, but this was weak and accounted for <30% of the variation). Hydrogen ion was consumed in all four watersheds by an average value of >75%. Water flow was by far the strongest determinant of annual pattern of flux of chemical constituents from the watersheds. Seasonal variations of concentration were of relatively small magnitude and had much less influence on patterns of flux.

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Trends in anthropogenically driven episodic acidification associated with extended winter snow melt/rain episodes between 1983 and 1998 were investigated for two streams in Nova Scotia, Canada. The anthropogenic contribution to Acid Neutralization Capacity (ANC) was analysed using the Boreal Dilution Model modified by applying a sea-salt correction to all input hydrochemistry. The anthropogenic contribution to episodic ANC decline was statistically significant and strongly correlated with the decline in acid deposition, which decreased by approximately 50% during the period of record. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the BDM can be applied to surface waters with sea-salt contributions although the correction increases model uncertainty. Results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of reduced emissions in North America in the last decades in decreasing the severity of episodic acidification in the Atlantic region of Canada.