Shallows are currently being used for agricultural production in most of the part of Turkey. However, due to the increasing demand in water resources together with the increasing trend of the population, groundwater resources are going to be new water resources soon. Also, intrusion of sea water influences the quality of the groundwater. Since Goksu Delta was listed within the Ramsar Convention in 1994, water quality of this area is also of international significance. Just as Goksu Delta, Silifke is located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, supporting more than twenty kinds of agricultural crops' production due to its higher fertility characteristics.The purpose of this study is to assess the current quality of the groundwater resources through the Goksu and Silifke coastal areas for better estimating the groundwater potential of the region in terms of sustainability of the groundwater resources by hydrochemical characterization of groundwater quality Goksu within the delta aquifers.For this aim, groundwater samples were taken from existing wells in the study area. 20 artesian wells were selected as sampling points to cover the study area. The total dissolved solid (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, temperature and chloride ion (Cl-) were measured monthly from April 2012 to April 2013.Overall, the measured concentrations of the EC, TDS, pH, and Cl- parameters varied between 257 and 4938 �S/cm, 752 and 5798 mg TDS/L, 7,61 and 8,2 pH 58,7, and 1622,5 mg Cl-/L, respectively. We found that existing groundwater resources subjected to the saltwater intrusion. Furthermore, increases in concentrations of measured parameters were found, compared the previous studies conducted in the region. As a conclusion, the groundwater resources of the study area are inconvenient in terms of agricultural use and the sustainability of agricultural production is under threat by the increase of EC, TDS and Cl- parameters.

Monitoring of the quality of the groundwater resources in Goksu and Silifke Delta, Turkey

248th National Meeting (2014)

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