Assessing the ecological status using physico-chemical, bacteriological parameters and biotic indices of the Oued Martil River basin in northwestern Morocco

An assessment of the water quality of the Oued Martil River basin (in northern Morocco) which is under natural and anthropogenic pressures was carried out over an annual cycle (spring, summer, autumn 2017 and winter 2018) at 20 sampling stations within the watershed. This assessment was conducted using biotic indices including the IBMWP (Iberian Biological Monitoring Working Party index), the QBR (Index of Riparian Quality) and the IHF (Fluvial Habitat Index). Physicochemical and bacteriological quality was also assessed based on twelve parameters (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended matter, sulphate, nitrite, nitrate, faecal coliforms, and faecal streptococci) of the surface waters of Oued Martil River basin. The scores of the biotic indices as well as the measurements of the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters classified the waters of the upstream reaches of the Oued Martil River as good quality while those of the downstream reaches were classified as poor quality.