Abstract
Water is an essential component of the Earth's ecosystem; each freshwater body has its specific physical and chemical characteristics. High contents of nutrients in the water, such as nitrogen and phosphorus are the major issues in terms of water quality. Notably, excessive nutrient concentrations in surface waters cause eutrophication. This research examines some pollution parameters to determine the current pollution level of the Goksu River. The river passes through the Goksu Delta, which is the most important natural habitat of the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Agricultural best management practices were an important phase of this study. The main goal was to examine the effects of agricultural best management practices on water quality of the Goksu River. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used for modeling the water quality of the Goksu River considering the agricultural best management practices. Water quality is the lowest in the watershed outlet. For this reason, agricultural best management practices have been evaluated by using SWAT program by considering watershed outlet water quality values. Results confirmed that agricultural best management practices retain large amounts of nutrient load in the Goksu River Watershed. SWAT simulation shows that in case agricultural best management practices were used, there could be a high decrease in BOD5, NO2 - and Total P loads. Which means a higher water quality class according to the Surface Water Quality Management Regulations (SWQMR) of Turkey.
Highlights
Water is an essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem; each freshwater body has its specific physical and chemical characteristics
Novotny and Olem state that Best Management Practices (BMPs) are methods that lead to the reduction of nonpoint source pollution until the level of pollution reaches to permitted levels specified by water quality standards [13]
The status of the river was indicated according to the Turkish Water Quality Management Regulations
Summary
Water is an essential component of the Earth’s ecosystem; each freshwater body has its specific physical and chemical characteristics. Geomorphological and geochemical conditions prevail in the drainage basin and the underlying aquifer. A watershed is a catchment or drainage basin. The chemical quality of the aquatic environment varies according to local geology, the climate, the amount of soil cover, land use, etc. Landscape morphology, hydrological conditions, biogeochemical processes in soil, sediment and geological characteristics are additional sources but their contributions have less significance. Agricultural sources due to the increased use of manures and manufactured inorganic fertilizers in global agriculture are the single greatest causes of pollution degrading the quality of surface waters. Water resources management should be conducted based on river basins according to the Water Framework Directive [2]. Watershed resources management is the most appropriate way to ensure the preservation, conservation, and sustainability of resources and for improving the living conditions of the people
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