Quality of Surface and Groundwater in the Sierra de Amula Region, Jalisco, Mexico

Water is a valuable natural resource, indispensable in the productive, economic, and social development of human beings, agriculture, and domestic and industrial uses throughout the world. Two samplings were established to evaluate the quality of surface and underground water for agricultural irrigation in the Sierra de Amula Region, Jalisco, Mexico. The first was performed during the dry season from November 2021 to April 2022, and the second was performed during the rainy season from July to September 2022 through completely random probabilistic sampling and a longitudinal descriptive study. In total, 25 surface water and 30 groundwater samples were taken. Each sample was evaluated for its pH, electrical conductivity, and ionic concentration (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, CO32&minus:, HCO3&minus:, CI&minus:, SO42&minus:). For data analysis, we determined the ionic concentrations and the salinity and sodicity indexes, including the electrical conductivity, pH, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and cationic ratio of soil structural stability (CROSS). The results indicate that the ionic concentration is mainly due to calcium bicarbonate, probably due to the geology of the region through water&ndash:rock interactions, and the pH is between 6.64 and 7.77: with respect to EC, most of the sampled sites are concentrated in medium-salinity waters of 250&ndash:750 &micro:S cm&minus:1. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) showed that the waters have high ionic concentrations of calcium and magnesium and low sodium. The CROSS values were lower than the SAR values, showing that the concentration of potassium ions K+ is low in the evaluated waters. With respect to salinity and sodicity, the water quality of the sampled sites, both surface and groundwater, can be considered good for agricultural use. Given that it was sampled in two seasons, the concentration of ions varies in the rainy season, with the dragging of materials causing the ions to concentrate to a greater extent. This type of research benefits farmers in reducing production costs, having knowledge of water quality, and decision making. We recommend that the alkaline pH of the surface or groundwater be conditioned according to the requirements of the crop to be grown and the irrigation method to be used.