Journal of Water Resources and Geosciences

Stabilization Clayey Subgrade Soil Using Waste Materials

Mohamed N. Al-Tamimy, Farah Q. Al-Naje, Alaa H. Abed, Abbas J. Al-Taie — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the traditional construction of roads, the source materials from borrow-pits are the very common for the roadbed-layers. The construction “total cost” of the roads is affected by important factors such as the source's materials. Enhancing the compaction properties of the local soils for roadbed application with the assistance of selected industry waste materials is found to help reduce the cost of the roads. This work shows the finding of the laboratory compaction study of the local clay subgrade. The compaction was conducted with standard and modified methods on soil mixed with two waste materials (fly ash and cement dust). The influence of waste materials on the clay subgrade compaction behavior was investigated to determine the optimum content of fly ash and cement dust. Finally, the result indicated that the studied parameters were highly influenced by the type of waste materials mixed with it.

Study of the moisture and salinity distribution pattern for subsurface drip irrigation in sandy mixed soil using the Hydras 2D program

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Water scarcity in arid regions makes saline water a valuable alternative source for irrigation. Trickle irrigation is a method that delivers water directly to the soil through an emitter into the root zone of plants. This study investigates the impact of varying amounts of irrigation water from drip emitters on water and salt distribution. It will use a numerical model (Hydrus 2D) to analyze the two-dimensional flow and solute distribution under subsurface irrigation with different drip settings. Irrigation duration and volume directly influenced solute distribution in all soil types. Salinity volume depended on saline content in irrigation water and discharge duration. In the simulation, when plants are irrigated with water that has a salt concentration of 8 ds m-1, the yield of maize crop grown reduction is 100%. If the plants are irrigated only with salt water, the salt concentration decreases by 17.5%. If they are irrigated with salt water and one-time fresh water, concentration decreases by 25%. In this case, a large quantity of fresh water is required to flush out the amassed salt from the soil. However, when the plants are irrigated with water with a salt concentration of 4 ds m-1, the reduction is 25% to 50%. If the plants are irrigated only with salt water, the salt concentration decreases by 15%. If they are irrigated with salt water and one-time fresh water, the salt concentration decreases by 25%. In this case, only a tiny amount of fresh water is needed to leach the salt.

Studying the Effects of Heavy Metals Concentrations on selected Water Treatment Plants in Babylon Governorate

Hadeel Kareem Jasim, Halah Kadhim Tayyeh, Ahmed Majeed Hussein — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With its high population density, Iraq faces numerous health problems due to pollution resulting from population activities affecting various components of the environment, particularly heavy metals in rivers. Unfortunately, most water treatment plants in Iraq lack a chemical treatment stage to remove heavy elements. To address this issue, the current study was conducted to measure the concentrations of toxic trace metals in drinking water, which can pose serious health risks, including cancer. The study focused on the Abi-Gharaq water project, the Al-Tayyara water plant project, and the unified Al-Hillah water project in Al-Hilla City. Experimental and analytical methods were applied to assess Samples taken from raw water before entering the projects, from sedimentation and filtration basins within the projects, and after adding chlorine for sterilization. The heavy elements studied were Aluminum, Copper, and Zinc. The study found a high concentration of copper in raw water before entering the Abi-Gharaq water project. In contrast, Aluminium in the water purification stages in the Al-Tayyara water plant project and the Abi-Gharaq water project exceeded the permissible limit of 0.20 mg/L according to the Iraqi Standard No. 417, 2001. Copper concentration also exceeded the permissible limit of 1.0 mg/L. The elevated levels of Aluminum may be related to the use of alum during the mixing basin stage of the purification process. Meanwhile, Zinc concentrations remained within the permissible limits of 3 mg/L for all stages.

Estimate the actual evaporation of Lake Habbaniyah under conditions of changing climatic conditions

Mahmood J. Al Shammary, Ibtisam R. Kareem — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Given the limited water imports resulting from the establishment of dams on river streams under conditions of climate change, which has had a significant impact on dam operating policies and the difficulty of meeting both agricultural and industrial human use requirements. The aim of this study is to estimate the losses from Habbaniyah Lake as a result of annual water evaporation by applying SWAT model and relying on MODIS satellite data. Annual climate information was collected and through the digital height model, Al-Habbaniyah Lake's enclave is planned. In addition, soil and land uses of the study area were classified to determine the values of the curve number. Climate data were use for 2021 until 2023. By simulating the SWAT model results, the annual evaporation rate of Lake El Habbaniyah was observed at approximately 2,000 mm. It was also seen by calibrating the evaporation values derived from the model with the values obtained from the MODIS satellite converging to a value of 94%. The results illustrated that an increase in evaporation values in the recent years due to the lack of large quantities of rain as well as high temperatures. Finally, the study concluded that there has been a shortage in water in recent the years for the period from 2021 to 2023. This loss causes the deprivation of 177 ha of agricultural land with water revenues, which needs to be addressed and strengthened in times of flooding and used to fill the deficit of water needs in time of the drought.

The optimal policy for operating the Haditha dam under conditions of changes in water revenues

Mahmood Jasim Al-Shammary — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In view of the limited water imports resulting from the establishment of dams on river sections under conditions of climate change, which affected dam operating policies and the difficulty of achieving requirements for human, agricultural, and industrial use. The objective of this study is to optimize the operation of Haditha Dam and identify annual reservoirs and water releases (operating curves) by applying the standard operating policy. Hydrological information representing water revenues expected at the Iraqi-Syrian border was collected at the Al-Qaim site, and optimized operating curves were extracted for storage (higher-rate - lower) for the dam reservoir. The model relied on the dam's projected annual revenue from 2003 to 2022. The annual operating curves of the dam reservoir (storage curves and releases over time) were devised based on Euphrates River hydrological information. The projected annual deficit in the dam basin has been calculated for various processing ratios. The highest annual projected deficit (4.8 billion cubic meters), while the lowest annual deficit (0.7 billion cubic meters) is expected. Annual operating results showed a surplus when large amounts of expenses were received in addition to primary storage values. Optimal operation is observed at 3 billion cubic meters of primary storage according to water imports and releases. Finally, the study found a deficit in recent years for the period from 2020 to 2022. This deficit is linked to the values of water revenues, which requires rationing to meet the shortfall in water revenues and to meet the deficit in water requirements.

The Effect of Water Discharge Rates on the Spread of Plastic Particles in the Shatt al-Arab River

Ahmed Chasib Al-Shamary, Najah Abood Hussien, Abbas Mahdi Al-Zwar — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From November 2021 to August 2022, water and fish samples were taken quarterly from four selected stations in the central part of the Shatt al-Arab River, several environmental parameters were collected. They include the temperature of water, water turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended materials, and total dissolved solids. During the summer in Al-Baradiya, the highest water temperature was 31°C, water turbidity values ranged from 1-45 nephronic turbidity units, the highest total suspended solids value was 6 mg/l, and the highest total dissolved solids value was 22777 mg/l. During the winter, Al-Baradiya had the highest dissolved oxygen value of 6.5 mg/l. catch 377 Individuals of fish were caught, and they were dispersed among 15 species. At all study stations, the types of plastic extracted in the stomach of fish were divided into three types: fibers, fragments, and plastic films, with fibers being the dominant species at a percentage of 56% over the other types. The red color of the plastic predominated in the rest of the colors, the largest number of plastic waste was in the Dakir and Al-Ashar stations, at 43.40% of the total number of plastic. The effect of the lack of water reaching the Shatt al-Arab River during the year 2022 was detected in a clear increase in plastic particles in the river.

Improving Water Use Efficiency and Productivity of Lactuca sativa L. under Management of Surface, Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Furrow Systems

Alaa Salih Ati , Ahmed Abdul hamza — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The field experiment was conducted in Al-Yusufiya district (Al-Qasr Al-Awsat) - Al-Mahmoudiya district /Baghdad province during the winter season 2021. The Nested-Factorial Experiments design was used, where the main plots include the first factor, irrigation levels (I1) 50%, (I2) 75%, (I3) 100%, (I4) 125% and (I5) 150%. Then the main factor is divided into three replicates, which includes the irrigation system and the cultivation method: surface drip irrigation, a plant line drip line (S1) and two plant lines drip line (S2), The subsurface drip irrigation system is a plant-line drip line (SS1) and two plant-line drip line (SS2), and the furrow irrigation system (SI). Lettuce seedlings were transferred from the nursery to the field and were planted on 10/5/2021. The irrigation scheduling was started according to the experiment’s parameters from 10/20/2021 to 12/24/2021. The efficiency of each irrigation system was taken into account, and the results were as follows: The SS2 subsurface drip irrigation system achieved the highest average total yield of 226.3 µg ha^-1, compared to the lowest average of 135.3 µg ha^-1 for the SI drip irrigation system, with a decrease rate of 40.21%. The SS2 treatment gave the highest average water productivity of 96.48 kg m^-3, while the SI treatment gave the lowest average water productivity of 28.31 kg m^-3. The percentage increase was 68.97, 70.82, 7.88, and 240.8% in the SS2 treatment compared to the irrigation system treatments S1, S2, SS1, and SI, respectively.

Sustainability of Sorghum and Water Productivity under a Deficit Irrigation Strategy and a Surface Drip Irrigation System

Wallada Muammar Ibrahim, Alaa Salih Ati, Shatha Salim Majeed — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A field experiment was conducted by planting sorghum in the spring season in AlJadriya / University of Baghdad / the experimental station of the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences (Station F), located at latitude (33˚16ʹ 28ʺN), at longitude (44˚23ʹ25ʺE), and at an altitude of 34 meters above sea level. In a clay loam soil, to study the effect of full and deficit irrigation scheduling in improving the water management efficiency of the sorghum crop Class Enqaz. The experiment coefficients included six irrigation levels: Treatment of 100% full irrigation when 50% of the ready water is exhausted and compensation in terms of aggregate evaporation from the evaporation basin class A to be completed to the field capacity, from which the deficit irrigation treatments 80, 70, 60, 50, and 40% of the complete irrigation were applied. Using the Completely Random Block Design with three replications. The seeds of the sorghum crop Class Enqaz were planted on 13-3-2022 and the harvest on 15-7-2022. The results were as follows: The total seasonal water consumption varied between full irrigation and deficit irrigation, and the highest consumption reached 540.64 mm season^-1 at the treatment of full irrigation 100% and then decreased to deficit irrigation coefficients 80, 70, 60, 50 and 40% to reach 455.68, 413.20, 370.72 and 285.76 mm season^-1 respectively. 80 and 70% of irrigation treatments outperformed the highest average water productivity of 1.17 kg m^-3 for the two treatments.

Produced Water Effluent in East Baghdad Oil Field: Treatment for Oil Recovery Application

Thabit Abbas Ahmed, Saba Saddy Ayoob, Shaymaa Ramadan, Lubna Abdul-Kareem — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study focuses on the problem of produced water (PW) in Midland Oil Company (Md.O.C)-East Baghdad Oil Field (EBOF). This type of water is produced with huge amounts in the company's subsidiary fields annually. For safely reinjection application, the collected produced water sample was subjected to several bench scale sequences of treatment including (Coagulation, Flocculation, Filtration, dissolved oxygen removing and disinfection of bacteria) to make it appropriate for reinjection. The target parameters for treatment were (pH, Oil and grease, Turbidity, suspended solids (TSS), Dissolved oxygen (DO) and Bacteria). The obtained results from final treatment stage proved that the treated parameters of water are proper to use the water for injection to increase the recovery of oil. The concentration of oil and grease was decreased from 74 mg/L in the raw water sample to less than 5mg/L after treatment. The total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity were reduced from 164 mg/L and 45 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) to trace and 0.15mg/L respectively. A dissolved oxygen (DO) was remediated to be 0.7mg/L from initial concentration (2.4 mg/L) via using a 100 mg/L sodium sulfite solution as oxygen scavenger. A sand filter proposed design was set and used successfully to get the required specifications of the treated produced water using in the oil recovery.

Evaluation of Operation Al-Nasr Lake Basin in Dhi Qar Governorate Using Remote Sensing Technology

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Al-Nasr Lake or Depression is considered a part MainOutfallDrain (MOD) system and A large Al Graraf Drain. It is a lower land surrounded by a dirt dyke. The purpose of its construction is as a balancing basin where the water stored in it can be used for fish farming and stabilizing sand dunes, in addition to reducing pressure on part MOD pumping station in event of an increase in imports in the drain system in Dhi Qar Governorate. Total area is 84 thousand donums, 65 thousand dunums within province of Dhi Qar area and other within province of Diwaniyah and due to the importance of this depression and a lack of studies for it, So, the current study was prepared to shed light on the part located within the governorate of Dhi Qar and study of the hydraulics of its operation and highest percentage monthly evaporation values in the previous period, in addition to derivate equations for relation between the immersion area, storage volume and level during operation its by using remote sensing models. The current study proved that maximum submersion area reached to depression during the past twenty years is 22,908 dunums, that was in 2019 (wet year), which is equivalent to 35% from its total area. Remote sensing models also gave relationships between the immersion area of the with level and the immersion area with volume of the storage of the depression with high correlation coefficients equal to R2 = 0.988 and R2= 0.992 respectively

Study seasonal changes in concentration of some heavy metals in Carasobarbus luteus of southern Iraq marshes

Basim M. Al-Thahaibawi, Kadhim H. Younis , Ghassan A. Al-Najare — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The concentration of heavy metals (cadmium, cobalt , copper , iron , nickel and manganese was measured in the muscles of the Carasobarbus luteus using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The average length of fish samples was (198.7) mm, and the average weight of fish samples was (105.31) gm. The results showed the highest average of concentration metals (cadmium, cobalt, copper, and iron) were (19.59, 25.05, 17.52, and 72.37) µg/g (dry weight), respectively, in the Eastern Al-Hammar marsh, whereas the highest average of concentration metals (nickel, and manganese) were (59.24, and 11.08) µg/g (dry weight), respectively, in the Al-Hawizeh marsh during the study period.

The variations of PH and conductivity with time during the electrocoagulation process

Naseer A. Al Haboubi , Shahad F. ALRubaye, Hussein A. Al-Amili — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study represents the performance of an electrocoagulation process employing a clear plastic reactor with holes in the aluminum plate electrodes to allow water to pass between the plates in a totoidal pattern. Regarding the efficiency of the process, the most important factors that affect the electrocoagulation process (EC) are electrical conductivity and pH. Continuous flow was carried out to evaluate the effects of different parameters on the pH, and conductivity variations. Two types of water are used in this study to investigate the use of electrocoagulation (EC): river water and discarded reverse osmosis system water. Using bipolar and monopolar aluminum electrodes, the factors that were examined were the flow rate (600, 1000 L/h) and the number of electrodes (2, 4). The pH showed oscillations throughout the various experimental circumstances for concentrated water, while for river water, the variation of pH and conductivity was stable. As for pH values, for river water, the pH increases and conductivity decreases for all experiments except for the 600L/h flow rate with reversing polarity experiment and employing two plates where the pH decreases and conductivity increases. For concentrated water, it is obvious through the experiments that the variation of pH and conductivity show unstable responses like that results from using river water because of the higher conductivity of the solution which leads to higher chemical reactions to occur during the experiments.

Forecasting of Irrigation Water Requirements in Wasit Province under Climate Change Conditions using LARS-WG and CROPWAT-8 Models

Fouad H. Saeed — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Agriculture is the largest consumer of surface and groundwater globally. Due to climate change, the demand for irrigation water will shift. In Iraq, climate change involves increased temperatures and decreased rainfall. In this study, the maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall for Al-Kut station during the reference period from 1990 to 2019 were downscaled to the period from 2030 to 2050 using the LARS-WG model, based on the HadGEM2-ES climate model and the RCP4.5 scenario. Additionally, irrigation requirements for Wasit Governorate were calculated using the CROPWAT-8 program for both the reference and future periods. The results indicate that the annual average of maximum and minimum temperatures will rise by 1.44°C and 1.24°C, respectively. This will lead to an increase in the annual evaporation rate from 2721.3 mm/year to 2848.2 mm/year. Similarly, the demand for irrigation water is projected to increase by about 36.7 m³/s due to these updated climatic factors. Therefore, it is essential to adopt more efficient irrigation methods to reduce pressure on water resources, which are also declining due to climate change.

Hybrid algorithm to enhance water pump stations efficiency and water distribution networks optimization

Noor Jameel Kashkool — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Designing water distribution networks is a difficult task with many search parameters and restrictions. Evolutionary algorithms have been widely used in this manner to minimize costs while satisfying pressure limits. A new hybrid evolutionary framework with four unique phases is proposed in this research. Reinforcement learning, an efficient artificial technique, was used in the first phase to improve the performance of pump stations. CMA-ES, a strong adaptive meta-heuristic for continuous optimization, was used in the second phase. An upward-greedy search phase to eliminate pressure violations comes next. Lastly, to minimize large pipes, a downward greedy search phase is employed. The hybrid method was applied multiple WDSs case studies in order to evaluate its efficacy. The findings show that on the majority of benchmarks, the new framework performs better than the previously used heuristics in terms of both optimization speed and network cost.

Water Diplomacy and Hypotheses of Conflict and Peace

Hayder Salh Aziz — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Historically, violent conflict has been a common strategy for politicians to resolve disputes, often perpetuating a culture of war and reinforcing a logic of conflict and violence. However, in modern political history, there has been a striking lack of wars over water resources. Instead, nations sharing the same water sources have shown a strong tendency toward cooperation rather than confrontation. Aaron Wolf from the University of Oregon has significantly advanced this discussion through his database on transboundary freshwater conflicts. His research challenges the “water wars” narrative, revealing that over two-thirds of transboundary water interactions display cooperative characteristics. Even incidents categorized as conflicts rarely escalate to violent clashes or war. This evidence underscores a broader trend where shared water resources foster collaboration, marking a departure from the historical reliance on violence to resolve disputes.

Employing the Rules of Public International Law to Promote Water Diplomacy in Iraq

Abdul Hassan Dweej khufaif — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The water management policies of Turkey, Syria, and Iran have severely impacted Iraq’s share of water from the Tigris and Euphrates basins. Beginning in the 1970s with Turkey’s Keban Dam and GAP project, Syria’s Tabqa Dam, and Iran’s restrictions on water flows, Iraq’s water resources have steadily diminished. This issue has been further exacerbated by climate change, which has reduced supply while water demand in Iraq continues to grow. The resulting imbalance necessitates urgent action through international water diplomacy to address Iraq’s critical water crisis. This research highlights the legal challenges posed by the principle of "state sovereignty," rooted in the doctrine of "sovereign will," which allows upstream states to avoid binding agreements. Iraq has faced significant diplomatic disadvantages due to these policies. However, this paper explores strategies for Iraqi negotiators to counter these challenges by leveraging the objectives of the United Nations in maintaining international peace, security, and fundamental human rights. The study argues that Iraq can strengthen its position by pursuing litigation against upstream states in international courts for violating the principles of shared water resources and the human right to water. Additionally, it recommends that Iraq adopt a human rights-based approach to water diplomacy, emphasizing the human right to water as a universal principle aligned with UN goals. This strategy seeks to build international public opinion and solidarity, pressuring upstream states into equitable water-sharing agreements and supporting Iraq's access to its fair share of water resources.

Water Resources in Iraq: Perspectives and Prognosis

Nadhir Al-Ansari — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Iraq is located in the Middle East which is considered as an arid to semi-arid area. Iraq mainly relies in its water resources on the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries. The country is located at the lower part of the catchment area of these rivers. The long term average annual flow recorded in Iraq from these rivers is about 30 BCM from the Euphrates, 22.2 BCM from the Tigris, 24.78BCM from tributaries and 7BCM from side valleys between Iraq and Iran. Nowadays, the flow of these rivers is decreasing due to climate change and hydrological projects established in the upper parts of the catchment. It is indicated that precipitation will decrease 15-25% during this century and that means that the flow of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers will be reduced by 29-73%. This will produce a grave depletion of ground water resources. Turkey is attempting to finish building 22 dams and 19 hydropower stations. Iran built many dams and diverted the flow of some tributaries inside Iran and blocked all the valleys that contributes water from its land to Iraq. For these reasons, Iraq is experiencing shortages in its water resources and there is some sort of friction and conflict between riparian countries within the Tigris and Euphrates basins because each country tries to secure its water resources. In this research, the factors affecting the hydro politics within these basins are: Water scarcity, Climate change and Hydrological projects, population growth rate, Energy issues, Water mismanagement, Economic changes, Expansions of projects and technology, Political issues, International water laws and Public awareness. To solve the problem of water scarcity in Iraq they should Reach agreements with Riparian Parties, and develop Long-term Strategy that should take care of: Rehabilitating of dams, barrages & pump stations, improving the efficiency of diversion and supply, using Nonconventional Water Resources, irrigation modernization using suitable techniques, developing a Public awareness program and establishing an agenda for training