The environmental effects of salinity load in Great Menderes Basin irrigation schemes

This study aimed to assess how poor planning for irrigation led to heavy salt loads, how those salt loads adversely affected the environment, and how to identify management practices to deal with these potential problems in the Great Menderes River Basin, Aydin Plain Irrigation Scheme of Turkey for the period between 2000 and 2006. In order to determine the effects on the environment; electrical conductivity, salinity load, total amount of water table salinity, inflow and outflow salinity were measured and calculated for the research area. There was no problem on account of water table fluctuations. The mean of area prevented the plant growth by high water table was 8.5%. The percentage of the area occurring water table salinity problem was 39.2. The total amount of salt transported to the Great Menderes River and accumulated in the soil of the research area was 211,609 and 246,565 tones respectively. Salt, 458,174 tones in total, had adverse effects on the environment.