Evaluation of Irrigation Water Quality and Agricultural Suitability of Kuzgun Dam Water

The aim of this study is to evaluate the irrigation water quality of Kuzgun Dam, which supplies water to the agricultural lands of Daphan Plain, located in Erzurum Province, Türkiye. Water samples were collected from seven different locations within the dam reservoir in July 2025, during the irrigation season. The samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), carbonate (CO₃²⁻), bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻), chloride (Cl⁻), and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) contents. Additionally, key irrigation water quality indices such as sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and sodium percentage (Na%) were calculated. The analytical results revealed that the values ranged between pH 7.08–7.76, EC 0.03–0.311 dS m-1, Na⁺ 0.129–0.297 meq l-1, Mg²⁺ 0.071–0.331 meq l-1, K⁺ 0.028–0.075 meq l-1, Ca²⁺ 0.025–0.432 meq l-1, SO₄²⁻ 0.09–0.12 meq l-1, HCO₃⁻ 0.22–0.75 meq l-1, and Cl⁻ 0.44–0.52 meq l-1, SAR: 0.45–0.75, RSC: 0.02–0.45 meq l-1, and Na%: 28–52%. Heavy metal analyses (Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, and Ni) indicated that all concentrations were below detectable limits. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the irrigation water from Kuzgun Dam is within acceptable standards for agricultural use and does not indicate a threat in terms of salinity, sodicity, or heavy metal contamination.