Irrigation
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Flavian Balthazar Jeremiah, Leopord Sibomana Leonard, Nyamboge Chacha Makuri
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30 June 2026
71
33
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Volume 3 Issue 1
Page 1 - 25
Evaluating the Suitability of Wami River Water for Irrigation in Dakawa, Tanzania: A Seasonal Hydrochemical and Index-Based Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56542/wi.jwempo.v3.i1.a5.2026
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Keywords:
Anthropogenic activities, Irrigation water, Magnesium hazard, Water quality indices
Abstract
Water is an essential natural resource that supports life and social-economic development, with agricultural irrigation accounting for the largest share of global water consumption. However, in-creasing anthropogenic activities continue to affect both quality and quantity of water resources. This study evaluated the suitability of water from Wami river for Irrigation purposes. Water samples were collected from eight sampling stations along the river during both the wet and dry season to assess the suitability of the water for irrigation use. Irrigation water quality indices such as SAR, SSC, KR, MAR and PI were computed and compared with local and international guidelines. Results showed that all indices fell within the good to excellent range, indicating that water is generally suitable for irrigation. Despite the overall suitability, MAR values remained consistently high in both season (90.14 ± 4.403 and 89.32 ± 4.323), reflecting elevated magnesium level, which can lead to leaf necrosis and reduce water infiltration capacity to the soil leading to poor growth of grown crops ultimately lower crop yield. The results including physical survey findings also showed that, high magnesium content in water was possibly due to agricultural runoff containing magnesium-based fertilizers, natural weathering and erosion of magnesium-rich parent rock. Therefore, while water from Wami river is generally suitable for irrigation, the persistent magnesium hazard necessitates management strategies such as controlled fertilizer use and the selection of magnesium-tolerant crops
