Efeito da cascata de reservatórios sobre a qualidade da água no rio São Francisco, nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The present study evaluates the influence of the river flow on the trophic state of the reservoir cascade formed by the dams on the medium, submedium and low São Francisco River. Surface water sampling was conducted quarterly between December 2007 and September 2008, along the reservoirs of Sobradinho, Itaparica, Moxotó, PA-I,II,III, PA-IV and Xingó. The hydrological variables analyzed were inflow and outflow, and water transparency (DS), chlorophyl-a (CLO), total phosphorous (FT) and reactive soluble phosphorous (FSR) concentrations used for the estimation of the Carlson trophic state index modified by Toledo-Júnior (IETM), with posterior estimation of the average trophic state index. A Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the post-hoc Dunn´s test (p<0.05) was used to detect spatial (reservoirs) and temporal (months) differences between the variables analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for each sampling month data in order to evaluate the variation of reservoir trophic state in response to changes in flow and nutrient concentration. Sobradinho differed from the other reservoirs for all variables and indexes analyzed, showing higher inflow in December 2007 and March 2008, and was regarded as eutrophic and mesotrophic throughout the study period. Itaparica, Moxotó, PA-I,II,III, PA-IV and Xingó reservoirs presented a relative uniformity, with higher inflow and outflow in December 2007 and September 2008, and a trophic state varying between mesotrophic and oligotrophic. A trophic state reduction along the reservoir cascade was detected, as evidenced by DS and CLO. However, the effect of reservoir water oligotrophication was attenuated by lateral contributions from the Moxotó and Pajeú tributary rivers, and effluents from the cities located along the system, particularly in the Paulo Afonso region, as evidenced by IETM(FT) and IETM (FSR). PCA exhibited a temporal change in the system trophic state, with a higher IETM similarity in March 2008. The PCA separated the Sobradinho and Xingó reservoirs, while Itaparica and the Paulo Afonso Complex reservoirs presented an intermediate trophic state, as demonstrated by the average trophic state index.