Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Taher farhadinejad ¹
• iraj vayskarami ²
• Mehran Zand ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Khorramabad, Iran

² Instructor, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Khorramabad, Iran

³ Associate Professor, soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institude, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Drought can have serious negative effects on the quality of water needed for irrigated agriculture. The geological formations of the region increase the concentration of minor and rare toxic elements in the waters, and on the other hand, human activities lead to water pollution in the nearby areas. In this research, the effect of drought on the quality of surface water, the effect of various factors such as geological formations and the decrease or increase of rainfall and air temperature on the quality of water resources, how the quality of water changes, determining the limits of water consumption in the drinking sector and agriculture should be paid.
 
Materials and methods
The Tirah River Basin with an area of 3243.6 square kilometers is considered as one of the sub-basins of the Dez River and a subset of the Karun Basin. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standard StreamFlow Index (SSI) and Decimal Index (DI) were used to calculate standard drought indices. Elements and compounds of electrical conductivity (Ec), Total dissolved solids (TDS), pH and Anions of chlorine (Cl^-), Sulfate (SO₄^2-), Bicarbonate (HCO₃^-), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium cations (Mg) were investigated. To draw the pattern of droughts, 3 hydrometric stations of Teng Mohammad Haji (upstream), Rahimabad Silakhor (middle) and Tir-Droud (outlet) stations were tested.
 
Results and discussion
The most severe hydrological droughts with a duration of 2 years and a minimum SSI value of -1.23 in the Teng Mohammad Haji Station in the water years of 2009 and 2010 and the Tir-Droud Station with a duration of 4 years (-1.19) and the Rahimabad Silakhor Station with a duration of 3 years (-1.16) occurred for the water years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The analysis of discharge and precipitation data of Teir sub-basins showed that between the discharge and precipitation (SPI and SSI) of Tang Mohammadhaji and Rahimabad Stations, there was an average positive correlation at a significant level of 0.05 (R²=0.526). Examining the relationship between annual discharge and water quality parameters showed that there was a negative correlation for most parameters such as TDS, EC, chlorine, the total of anions and cations, so that the maximum concentration of quality parameters occurred in droughts. In Tang Mohammadhaji Station, the highest percentage of changes was related to sodium and chlorine, respectively, with 62.55 and 39.70% in dry years compared to the long-term average. The results of this research showed that the percentage of changes in calcium, magnesium, sodium, carbonate and chloride
 increased in dry years compared to the long-term average in the studied stations in the Tirah River Basin. All the stations in the Tirah Basin have passed the period of relatively dry hydrological drought (-0.84 to -1.28) and none of them have suffered severe hydrological drought.
 
Conclusion
The analysis of discharge and precipitation data of dark sub-basins shows that between discharge and precipitation (SPI and SSI) of Tang Mohammad Haji Station, which is an upstream sub-basin of dark, there is an average positive correlation at a significant level of 0.05 and in Rahim Abad Station, which is in the middle of the basin It is located in Tire, and according to Pearson, it has a correlation at a significant level of 0.05 at the exit station of Tire basin, no significant correlation is observed between discharge and precipitation variables, which can be caused by snowfall and the persistence of snow in the heights from the previous water year, the construction of Meruk Dam. In the upper part of the basin, as well as the water intake of Bishehdalan Silakhor Wetland in droughts and abundant water harvesting from the Tirah River for agriculture. The upstream basin of Tang Mohammadhaji Station is completely calcareous, which has caused changes in parameters of calcium, TDS, EC, etc. In Rahimabad Silakhor Station and Tire outlet, half of the area of the basin is dedicated to intrusive rocks such as granite and granodiorite, which increases potassium and calcium. In the studied stations in Tirah River Basin, the percentage of changes related to calcium, magnesium and sodium, and carbonate and chlorine anions have increased in dry years compared to the long-term average. In general, it can be concluded that drought can have negative effects on water quality parameters in Tirah River Basin.
 

Keywords

• Correlation test
• DI
• Karun river basin
• SPI
• SSI