41 / 2023-12-25 06:40:05

Evaluating Influence of Using Resources from Yaracuy River Basin on Water Quality of Cumaripa Water Reservoir, Venezuela

WATER RESOURCES,WATER RESERVOIR,RIVER BASIN

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the influence of the use of resources from the Yaracuy River basin on the water quality of the Cumaripa Water Reservoir (CWR), Venezuela. Statistical information was collected determining the geographical characteristics of the Cumaripa reservoir from national public institutions: National Land Institute and Ministry of Ecosocialism. The method involved: 1) Description of the water network and land use in the upper basin of the Yaracuy River. The geomorphological parameters of the water network were obtained from cartographic maps. Information on water network corresponded to charts at scale 1:100,000. 2) Determination of land use and land cover (LULC). To generate LULC maps, the ENVI V-4.7 software was implemented, by processing Landsat 8OLI satellite images, from two different dates within years 2015, 2016 and 2017. 3) Estimation of sediment transport processes in the basin of the Yaracuy River: Soil sediment production was evaluated in Yaracuy River basin, modeled in ArcGIS V-10.0. The Langbein-Schumm method was applied, requiring contributions of effective rainfall and estimating sediment production per unit area. 4) Determination of spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters of the Yaracuy River basin: a spatial distribution of the physicochemical variables was carried out with data provided by the Ministry of Ecosocialism and Water for the year 2015 including: temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total hardness, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids, total coliforms, phosphates, chlorides and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). The spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters in the Yaracuy River basin allowed the generation of isoconcentration maps to have a general view of its behavior throughout the basin. Dissolved oxygen and temperature registered inverse behaviors as dissolved oxygen decreased and temperature increased, from the upper basin to the lower basin. Variables such as total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, total hardness and alkalinity showed similar spatial distribution patterns, exhibiting lower values in the middle basin of the Yaracuy River. The opposite occurred with the variables total phosphorus, total nitrogen, fecal coliforms and COD, which showed maximum values in the spatial distribution, in the middle basin of the Yaracuy River. On the other hand, the concentration levels of sulfates and chlorides were low in the upper basin and maximum in the lower basin of the Yaracuy River. A bioremediation effect occurred in the CWR. The values of the water quality parameters tended to be eliminated and decreased at its outlet. Contaminated water purifies itself through a natural attenuation process.