Spatial variation of water quality for irrigation in the coastal Mayo Valley aquifer, Sonora, Mexico

Abstract

In this study the hydrochemical patterns of the Mayo River aquifer, in the Mayo River Irrigation District, and the factors determining the spatial distribution of the water quality for irrigation were determined. Physicochemical information, from 2005 to 2007, of 54 goereference wells was classified in the Piper diagram and principal component analysis (PCA). The use of the hydrochemical method and PCA allowed to identify the existing hidrochemical patterns and the factors that influence them. Close to Mayo riverbed waters were classified as magnesium-calcium bicarbonate, indicating short term resident time of water. North of the aquifer sulfate samples dominated, as a result of water circulation on sedimentary evaporite deposits. In the southcentral area most waters were saline-sodic.