Evaluation of the effects of Tekirdag-Türkmenli irrigation project on soil and water components using the wavelet method

The extensive utilization of water and soil resources by various sectors has negatively impacted their quality and quantity. This has resulted complications in the sustainability of ecosystems while also jeopardizing the access to safe food especially in the era of a changing climate. With the increasing need for irrigated agriculture, irrigation projects are also carried out to keep water at the desired place and time in the desired quantity and quality. This thesis aimed at determining the environmental effects of irrigation projects on soil and water. To achieve this objective, the positive/negative changes on soil and water resources in the Türkmenli Irrigation Field of Center of Tekirdağ were examined. The physio-chemical and biological analyses were carried out by taking soil samples and water samples from the pond and the exit points of the irrigation canal and 5 groundwater observation wells during two irrigation seasons on the route of 5 right coast irrigation canals and 5 left coast irrigation canals. The findings on the soil and water parameters were evaluated with the Wavelet model, which is one of the decision-support systems utilized in evaluating irrigation projects'effects on the environment and agriculture and the risks that may arise from the irrigation projects planned in the future have been determined. Parameter concentrations were analyzed in terms of time and space. Salinity parameters and pollutants such as nitrate (NO3), nitrite (NO2), phosphate (PO4), sulfate (SO4), chlorine (Cl) varied greatly with irrigation practices, drought and precipitation. It was determined that the irrigation project may pose danger to public health due to its proximity to the settlements and also as a result of fertilizers and industrial waste waters mixing with surface waters and aquifers. In the irrigation area, macro and micro scale effects were also observed in heavy metal changes in soil and water, based on the effect of pollutants from industrial facilities, water and air transport, and the direction of the wind. Keywords: Water and soil quality, Wavelet, Trend analysis, Organic pollutants