Effects of Dam Construction and the Karoon River’s Change of Hydrology Regime on Soil Salinity and Dust Storms of Khuzestan Plain

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Effects of Dam Construction and the Karoon River’s Change of Hydrology Regime on Soil Salinity and Dust Storms of Khuzestan Plain

Abstract

Introduction
     Khuzestan plain is part of Mesopotamia. This plain was long ago irrigated and drained due to floods (Rangzan and Jafari, 2017). Then, plants started to grow everywhere in this area. With the construction of dams in the past decades, the flooding was hindered; however, since soils were saline, civil plant could not grow anymore (Anonymous, 2011). Therefore, these lands became bare and dust storms started to happen in the plain. In this research, we studied soil salinity and its sources or agents in these area (Ayers and Westcot, 1976). We specially focused on evaluation of dam contractions and effects of the Karoon Rivers’ hydrology regime change on the ecology of certain areas of Khuzestan plain.
 
Methodology
We focused on studies done by Rangzan and Jafari on the Karoon River (at Mollasani station) over a forty-year period in order to investigate its discharge and salinity changes (Anonymous, 2011). Dam construction data in the same period were collected. Also, soil salinity and alkalinity were recorded during summer for 6800 hectares in the south of Ahvaz and north of Shadegan Wetland, over a period of 25 years, in 1991 and 2011. Soil EC was also determined in extracted paste in 2017. Sodium absorption ratio (SAR) was calculated from Na, Ca, and Mg concentrations determined in these extracted pastes. Soil salinity and alkalinity (SAR) maps were drawn by Arc GIS Ver. 10.3. For this manure, ECe and SAR were partitioned in 10 levels from 0-90 and polygons were shown in these ranges for all provided maps.

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Main Subjects

References

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Irrigation Sciences and Engineering
Volume 43, Issue 1
March 2020
Pages 157-172

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History

  • Receive Date: 31 December 2016
  • Revise Date: 13 May 2018
  • Accept Date: 16 May 2018
  • Publish Date: 20 March 2020

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