Assessment of the irrigation water quality for Al-Kifl River in Al-Hindya City

Abstract EN

The present study is an attempt to assessment the water quality of Al-Kifl river within Al-Hindiya city in Iraq for irrigation purpose.

The total length of study reach was about 9 km, water samples were collected from three stations along the reach through two seasons, wet (January-February-March), and dry (July- August) during year 2015.

The samples were test for EC, TDS, PH, Na+, Ca+2, Mg+2, HCO3-, SO4 and Cl- parameters.

According to irrigation water quality guidelines of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the salinity, specific ion toxicity and miscellaneous effects problems were under the categories "slight to moderate" hazard for both seasons, While there was no infiltration hazard.

Also, pH value and sulphate concentration were within accepted rang.

The model of irrigation water quality index (IWQI) which developed in Brazil by Meireles et al.

(2010) was used to evaluate the river water for irrigation, and values were found within the range (70-85) which classified as low restriction limit.

Water in this category should be used in the light texture or moderate permeability soils and sodicity problem can appear in heavy texture soils.