Physicochemical assessment of two freshwater dams from Jawhar, Palghar (M.S.) India

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the water quality status and seasonal variation of two prominent
freshwater reservoirs, Jaysagar Dam and Jamsar Dam situated in Jawhar Tehsil of Palghar District,
Maharashtra. The physicochemical analysis was conducted over a period of two years from June 2021 to
May 2023. The samples were collected twice a month from designated stations and analyzed for key
parameters including Atmospheric Temperature (AT), Water Temperature (WT), Rainfall (RF), pH,
Turbidity (NTU), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Salinity (Cl⁻), Alkalinity (CO₃²⁻ and HCO₃⁻), Calcium (Ca²⁺),
Silicates (SiO₂), Phosphate (PO₄³⁻–P), Nitrate (NO₃⁻–N), Nitrite (NO₂⁻–N), Ammonia (NH₃–N), and
Optical Density of Chlorophyll Pigment (OD Chl.). The findings from both the stations revealed
variations between the water parameters, AT ranged between 15.0 to 27.20C, WT 18.3 to 29.10C, highest
RF with 1452.4 mm precipitation recorded in July 2022, pH 6.22 to 8.46, turbidity 4.00 to 15.12 NTU,
DO 4.52 to 8.60 mg/l, Cl⁻ 2.34 to 11.65 mg/l, CO₃²⁻ 1.90 to 15.60 mg/l, HCO₃⁻ 30.90 to 200.10 mg/l,
Ca²⁺ 8.89, to 42.30 mg/l, SiO₂ 4.98 to 23.72 mg/l, PO₄³⁻–P 0.018 to 0.061 mg/l, NO₃⁻–N 0.20 to 9.10
mg/l, NO₂⁻–N 0.01 to 0.09 mg/l, NH₃–N 0.019 to 0.097 mg/l, and OD of Chlorophyll pigment ranged
between 0.080 to 0.520. All the parameters were found to be within permissible limits. These results
provide baseline data for Jawhar’s freshwater ecosystem, which helps to assess and manage regional
water quality.