Assessment of Groundwater Suitability for Agricultural Purposes: A Case Study of South Oued Righ Region, Algeria

Abstract

Groundwater in the Touggourt region—or as its named, Oued Righ—in southeastern Algeria, is the only source of irrigation. To assess its suitability for agricultural purposes, we collected 72 samples from wells at this region, physical and chemical measurements were carried out for each water sample, and calculations of the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), permeability index (PI), soluble sodium percent (SSP), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium hazard ratio (MHR) and Kelley’s ratio (KR) were carried out, as these indices are often used to assess the suitability of groundwater for irrigation uses. Based on the irrigation water quality index (IWQI) values, a spatial distribution map for each parameter using the inverse interpolation technique (IDW) was produced by Geographical Information System (GIS). According to the IWQI map, about 35% of the water samples analyzed fall into the Severe Restriction category (SR), making it unsuitable for irrigation under normal circumstance. Again, the remaining 65% of the groundwater has a high restriction (HR) for use. Groundwater in the study area could be used for irrigation in highly permeable soils where salt-tolerant crops are grown. Adequate drainage and continuous monitoring of water quality are recommended.