Sediment and Water Analysis In Tinorian River, Iloilo, Philippines: Basis For Understanding The River's Health and Quality

The Tinori-an River is located in the 4th district of Iloilo, specifically in the municipalities of Barotac Nuevo and Anilao. The study aimed to assess the sediment conditions of the river. For site selection, 12 sampling sites were selected within the river and 15 for the ponds. The Total Organic Matter (TOM) and Moisture were determined using the loss-on-ignition (LOI) technique, and grain size was assessed using wet and dry sieving. For water parameters, a multiparameter water meter was used. Results showed that the highest TOM was 12.60% in Pond A. The highest moisture was 62.83% in Pond L. High sand-silt fractions were present in all sampling sites. Water parameters showed that the water was basic and low-fair DO concentrations for both sites. For salinity, upstream was considered freshwater and the other three sites were brackishwater. Temperature was constant in all the study sites. The water was mostly turbid in all sampling sites. The results indicated high TOM and moisture in all sites, which could be traced to slow water movement and the shallowing of the river due to fisheries and anthropogenic activities. The water parameters recorded showed that the river needs attention in areas where DO was less than 5 mg/L. The current study provided baseline data on the health and condition of the Tinori-an River, and the contributing factors to this should be known to have a scientific-based approach to managing the river.