Advanced topics in water chemistry and salinity

Using both EC_w and SAR to evaluate a water

The tendency of an elevated sodium concentration in a water to cause dispersion of soil particles, impairing the soil's permeability, is counteracted somewhat by a high electrolyte concentration — high salinity. Because of this counteractive effect, one must consider a water's total salinity when assessing the water's potential sodium hazard.

The best way to do this is to evaluate two parameters at once: the water's SAR, together with the water's EC_w. The diagram below provides a useful guideline for assessing a water and determining what level of reduction in soil permeability, if any, is likely to occur.

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