THE SOURCES OF POLLUTION OF  HYDROECOSYSTEMS WITH NUTRIENTS AND THE LOAD OF PASTURES IN THE CATCHMENT AREAS OF THE VOGHCHI AND MEGHRIGET RIVERS, ARMENIA

Karen Grigoryan, Yerevan State University, Armenia
Gor Gevorgyan, Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthiology of NAS RA, Armenia

Abstract

The catchment basins of the Voghchi and Meghriget rivers are located in the south of the Republic of Armenia. The catchment basins of the Voghchi and Meghriget rivers cover the areas of 933 square km (in the borders of Armenia) and 340 square km respectively, and the population is 62300 and 12200 respectively. In the catchment areas of the Voghchi and Meghriget rivers, the main occupation of population was cattle breeding, and now it is one of the dominating sphere of economy. Agriculture and other spheres of human activity including human domestic activity have its impact on the environment. Canalization and sewerage systems are in very bad condition, biological water cleaning stations don’t work in these areas by which wastewaters without sufficient cleaning flow directly to wetlands of abovementioned catchment areas polluting them.
The objective of study was to explore the content of nitrogen and phosphorus penetrating into the environment due to human domestic and agricultural (cattle breeding) activity as well as to determine the load of pastures in the catchment areas of the Voghchi and Meghriget rivers.
The study was performed in 2006-2010 using the methodology of Vollenweider. The study shown that 1287.1 tons of nitrogen and 137.13 tons phosphorus penetrated into the environment in the catchment areas of the Voghchi and Meghriget rivers as a result of human domestic and agricultural activity. It is also revealed that the load of pasture was very low, and there was the high potential for cattle breeding development in this territory.

Keywords: Catchment area-domestic and agricultural activity-cattle breeding-nutrients-load-pastures