Assessment of Groundwater Quality in Yazd-Ardakan Plain for Agricultural Purposes Using Geographic Information System (GIS)

The use of geographic information system software (GIS) for monitoring water resources can be very effective to protect, manage and correctly operate water resources. The aim of this study was to assess groundwater quality in Yazd-Ardakan for agricultural purposes using GIS.
In this study, to assess groundwater quality in Yazd - Ardakan Plain, data were collected from 75 wells within 10 years (2005 to 2015). GIS 10.22 software and kriging spatial analysis model were applied for data interpolation and zoning maps.
The results showed that the water quality in Yazd - Ardakan Plain based on TDS, SAR and EC parameters was unfavorable for irrigation purposes in 42, 40.26 and 55.3% of the areas, respectively. The calculated total quality index showed that water quality in 53.18% of the areas was suitable, 28.65% average and 18.17% poor in Yazd-Ardakan plain for irrigation.
According to the results, differences in type and composition of the soil have induced changes in water quality. Since, the main water quality problem in Yazd-Ardakan plain is EC, SAR and TDS, direct use of groundwater must be avoided in order to prevent damage and reduce crop yields in north and east areas.