Abstract

This study aimed to verify the influence of land use and occupation on the quality of water resources in an experimental watershed, in order to assess the impact of pig activity through the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Trophic State Index (TSI). To do so, they were prepared using maps and land occupation with the aid of satellite images in which were defined using 6 classes (native forest, agriculture, forestry, exposed soil, water depth and clouds/shadows) and, in parallel, there were 14 monitoring campaigns of water quality in the period August 2012 to February 2015 at 7 sampling points. With the analysis of the results it was observed that in 88% of the samples ranged from WQI fair and poor, very close to the lower limit, by virtue of the presence of coliform, turbidity, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and total solids. For the TSI, there was a significant presence of phosphorus and chlorophyll-a leading in 91% of the samples, the trophic level between hypertrophic and super trophic.

The values that WQI and TSI may be associated with installed pig activity in the region, due to the significant generation of waste and the resulting environmental impacts added to the mismanagement of this, beyond sanitary wastewater generated by the municipalities that make up the experimental basin, whose release into waterways without an effective treatment corroborates reducing quality.

Keywords:WQI; TSI; Use and land use; Water quality; Water resources