Aptitud para riego del agua subterránea basada en la salinidad y sodicidad en las perforaciones realizadas entre 2004 y 2010 en los Oasis Norte y Centro de Mendoza Aptitud for underground irrigation based on salinity and sodicity in drillings made between 2004 and 2010 in the North and Central Oasis, Mendoza

Mendoza's agricultural activity is concentrated in productive areas which depend almost exclusively on irrigation. Around 70 percent of these estates rely on underground water basins. The goal of this project has been to analyze the water quality of wells drilled within the 2004-2010 period in the North and Central Oasis of Mendoza. Of the nearly 1000 new wells on record, 409 were sampled. Physical-chemical analyses were carried out to determine current and effective electrical conductivity, salt residue, total salts, ph, cations and anions. Coefficient of alkali, sodium absorption relation and hardness were also calculated. Wells in the Central Oasis are less deep, producing water of lower current electrical conductivity and of higher quality. In the North Oasis the best quality water is found in the area irrigated by the Mendoza river. In the east (Tunuyan river basin) waters are of inferior quality, despite greater depths of exploration. The greatest differences between current electrical conductivity and effective electrical conductivity occur in the lower Tunuyan river basin, where water contains larger amounts of medium soluble salts.