Evaluation of Groundwater Quality and Agricultural use Under a Semi-arid Environment: Case of Agafay, Western Haouz, Morocco

Water resources are a priority for economic development, aiming at meeting the increasing needs of agriculture and all socio-economic sectors. Agriculture is one of the essential pillars of this development in the Haouz Plain. Under a semi-arid climate, irrigation, consuming more than 85% of available water, is inevitable for most crops. Hence, groundwater is becoming increasingly under pressure. Salinization due to poor irrigation management is one of the main causes of soil degradation. In this context, assessment of groundwater quality and risks of soil salinization was carried out in irrigated citrus orchards located in the western part of Haouz and aimed at understanding the connection between natural context, irrigation practices, and water and soil salinization. The spatial distribution of aquifer potential lines is affected by groundwater over-exploitation. Moreover, geologically, the Palaeozoic substratum rise constitutes an obstacle for underground flow, which explains the low values recorded and measured around the studied area. The groundwater quality in the study area is characterized by strong mineralization, consequently affecting the soil by secondary salinization due to the intensive use of moderate saline waters from groundwater. Using a mixture of different water origins is a practical measure to reduce the risks of degradation of the soil. (c) 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.