Droughts and pluvials have not had a significant impact on aeolian processes in the past 2000 years. However, beginning in the 18th century, dust deposition is apparent in the alpine lakes of the Rocky Mountains. Past studies have shown that prior to European introduction of exotic livestock to the Southwest United States, climate fluctuations rarely followed the dust flux and vice versa. Dust accumulation is typically expected to increase during periods of drought; however, recent studies from lake cores from the San Juan Mountains do not reflect this expectation. Here, I use an annually-layered (or varved) sediment core from Columbine Lake, Colorado to create a multi-decadal reconstruction of dust deposition for the region. Preliminary results suggest that the introduction of European husbandry involving exotic livestock began around 1700 Common Era with the sudden increase in dust accumulation. Correlations with local dendrochronology data from the North American Drought Atlas suggest that intervals of droughts and pluvials also impact dust fluctuations on the Colorado Plateau, indicating that sediment availability for erosion may play a major role in the concentration estimates. Furthermore, this paleolimnological research is in conjunction with a modern dust campaign to measure accumulation rates and sediment geochemical analyses using a network of dust traps on the southern Colorado Plateau. The significance of this research involves downwind communities and stakeholders, specifically Indigenous tribes and ranchers, already impacted by climate change, dune mobility, and water availability on the Colorado River Basin.
