Offering a Proper Framework to InvestigateWater Quality of the Atrak River

Backgrounds and TheAtrak River is an important water supply resource in the Razavi Khorasan, Northern Khorasan and Golestan provinces. This river is the line border of Iran and Turkistan countries. Unfortunately, lack of water quality and quantity data due to nonexistence of a proper surface water qualitymonitoring station network is one of themain problems for water quality evaluation in the Atrak River. The main objective of the research is to offer a proper framework for surface water quality evaluation regarding to the mentioned limitations. In the first step, proper surface water quality monitoring stations along Atrak River are selected and water quality conditions are indicated using water quality index (WQI) model. The second step is allocated for determining trophic states of the river. Finally, the river water quality modeling is carried out for one of the most important index of water quality in the Atrak River i.e. total dissolved solids (TDS) based on proposed method by Oconnor (1976). Results of WQI model showed that most of the stations were in the moderate class. The result also showed that most parts of this river had trophic condition. Finally, based on findings of O.Conor model it is demonstrated that the salinity status observed in these four stations originated from the base flow and therefore, salinity is affected by the natural sources. This methodology in the research can be used in rivers which don.t have the proper surface water qualitymonitoring stations and therefore encountered with lack of water quality data. It can provide the proper strategy and management tasks to reach the good water quality conditions.