Effect of Discharge on Water Quality in Euphrates River Between Hit and Ramadi, Iraq

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between water drainage rates in Hit and Ramadi cities and the water quality of the Euphrates River. The studied area of Euphrates River extends from Hit to Ramadi, where two sampling stations were selected monthly in 2012, 2013, and 2018. The results indicate variations and decreasing in the monthly discharge rate of the study period; the year 2012 had higher discharge rate values than 2013, which in turn was higher than in 2018, for both gauging stations. Our results indicate that with decreasing discharge trends, some selected water quality parameters had an increasing trend. During the selected years, there was an increase in levels of sulfate, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, magnesium, and turbidity in the Ramadi station compared to the Hit station, as the rate of discharge of the river increases in the former. A positive significant correlation between discharge rate and dissolved oxygen and dissolved solids were reported. The Haditha Dam and its reservoir affect the downstream discharge rate and in turn the water quality at Hit and Ramadi Cities.