This study had the objective of identifying the variables of greatest significance on water quality from the Salitre river watershed and classifying the water sources according to their characteristics. The factorial analysis of the results from dams/streamlets showed three main factors explaining 83.50% and 74.98% of the accumulated variance, while from rivers/streamlets, explained 86.92% and 71.25% in the raining and drought periods of 2001, respectively. The variables prioritized in the Factor 1, regardless the water sources and the periods are directly related to water salinity. The water sources were grouped into three classes and C1 showed the best water quality. In the periods studied, 61.5% and 76.9% of the dams/streamlets and 38.5% and 15.4% of rivers/streamlets were classified as C1, showing low mean values for total dissolved solids (138.25 and 209.40 mg L-1; 105.2 and 129.55 mg L-1). Variations in the classes among superficial sources in the periods were not significant. These results point out for the needs of measurement of preservation and conservation of water resources of this watershed.
environmental impacts; irrigation; cluster
