Chemical and Physical Properties of Water in Salman-Farsi Reservoir, Fars Province

It is essential for the proper management of lakes to know physical and chemical factors in their different parts and in different times of the year. This project aims to investigate basic limnology of physical and chemical factors in Salman-Farsi Reservoir, Ghir County, the Province of Fars. Seasonal samplings were carried out in 2007 in 27 stations. Analysis of variance was used to compare seasonal variations of the studied factors. The annual means of the studied items were as following: water temperature (22.6° C), dissolved oxygen (8.2 ppm), carbon dioxide (0.9 ppm), pH (7.8), transparency (352 cm), electrical conductivity (874 µS/cm), total dissolved solids (570 ppm), total hardness (630 ppm), nitrite ion (0.02 ppm), nitrate ion (0.8 ppm), ammonia (0.04 ppm), phosphate ion (0.4 ppm), biochemical oxygen demand (3.8 ppm), and chemical oxygen demand (19.3 ppm). Comparison of the results with the drinking water standards showed that the lake water is suitable regarding pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate concentrations, but its total hardness was slightly higher than the permitted values. Temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, carbon dioxide, nitrite, nitrate, concentrations as well as biochemical oxygen demand showed acceptable levels all over the lake as compared with water quality standards for warm-water aquaculture. Chemical oxygen demand measures were at proper levels in the lacustrine and transitional sections, but slightly higher than this level in the riverine areas. Ammonia levels were appropriate in the lacustrine but moderately higher in the riverine and transitional sections. Transparency, total hardness, and phosphate ion concentration were much higher than the standard levels of warm-water aquaculture.