Managing Semi-Arid Watersheds: Watershed Basics - Water Quality

"Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink." If the water quality is so poor that it cannot be used for drinking water or irrigation, then it doesn't matter how much there is! Water quality is affected by many things such as geology, soil, vegetation, land use practices, and waste products from residential and industrial human activities.

The three major categories of water quality characteristics that are measured are: physical, chemical, and biological. Physical characteristics affecting water quality include suspended particles, clarity (or turbidity), oxygen, pH, and temperature.

Chemical characteristics are largely a result of the source of the water and the geologic rock formations it has been in contact with which will determine what dissolved minerals are present. Naturally, human, residential, and industrial wastes that are dumped on the surface or injected into the ground is a chemical water quality concern. Most chemical contaminants cannot be detected by looking at the water.

Biological characteristics are determined by measuring the amount and type of organisms present in the water. Most biological contamination dangers relate to improper handling of human or animal waste near a water source. With the rapid growth occurring throughout Arizona the limited quantity of water that is available will become more limited as water quality deteriorates.

Do your part in protecting our water supplies by properly disposing of household waste and toxic materials such as old motor oil, cleaning agents, etc.