Hydrochemistry and water quality assessment of the Kashi River Basin, China

The Kashi River is an important source of daily water for local residents and provides irrigation water for the areas along its banks to support agricultural development. Meanwhile, the natural scenery of the river basin is also an important driving force for the development of regional tourism. Therefore, studying the water quality of river basins has significant practical significance for the sustainable development and utilization of local water resources and the protection of the ecological environment. The results showed that the hydrological environment of the Kashi River was affected by rock weathering, and the main source of ions was silicate minerals. Carbonate minerals and gypsum were secondary sources. In addition, apart from the influence of natural factors such as rock dissolution and temperature changes, human activities were also one of the important factors leading to the spatial-temporal variations in ion concentration. Moreover, the water quality results of the Kashi River Basin showed that the land use structure of cropland-forest-grassland in the downstream played an important role in reducing water pollution caused by human activities. This conclusion not only confirmed the previous studies, but also provided theoretical support for the optimization of regional water quality in the future.