Relationship Between Water Quality and Land use Along a Stretch of the Sorocaba River (SP)

Abstract

Considering that the land use activities have direct impacts on water resources, the aim of this paper is presenting the spatial variation of the following parameters: pH, apparent color, true color, turbidity, conductivity and chemical oxygen demand along a stretch of the Sorocaba River, located in Sorocaba Municipality. Field incursions were done in order to survey insitu the conductivity and pH. Water samples were collected and transported to the laboratory for analysis of the remnant parameters. Conductivity and chemical demand of oxygen were the parameters that more closely revealed the degradation of the water quality. It was verified that the urban region was the main responsible by degradation of water quality and that vegetation patches did not improve the water quality patterns, just estilizaded them. Thus, although the Sorocaba River has been trying to control its levels of contamination, an extended work must be done in order to get better the water quality and its surroundings.