Soil Cover of the Svetloyarsk Irrigation System after 50 Years of Reclamation Practices

Abstract

The state of irrigated soils of the Svetloyarsk irrigation system (Volgograd oblast) after 50 years or irrigation and ameliorative impacts has been assessed with the use of published and new field data, cadastral materials, and remote sensing materials. In the recent two decades, the area of regular irrigation and the volume of irrigation water have decreased, which has led to the lowering of the groundwater level to the depth of 5 m and more. The pattern of sown areas is characterized by a rise in the portion of winter cereals. Surface planing during the construction of the irrigation system led to a considerable transformation of the soil cover. On convex elements, solonetzic and other topsoil horizons were almost completely cut off. In many areas, they were replaced by a mixture of different horizons, including carbonaceous material. There are now significant areas of soils of different geneses with carbonates from the surface. Former solonchakous and slightly solonchakous soils are now at the stage of deep desalinization: soluble salts in them have been washed to the second meter, where slightly or moderately saline horizons with a predominance of sulfates have been formed. Irrigated areas on satellite images are specified by spotty patterns differing from those of natural solonetzic soil complexes because of the significant transformation of the soil cover during the construction and operation of irrigation system. The anthropogenically transformed soils can be mapped. Soil maps reflecting the modern state of the of soil cover of irrigated areas are given.