Journal of New Approaches in Water Engineering and Environment

Abstract Objective: Proper treatment of urban wastewater and monitoring the quality parameters of wastewater treatment plant effluent are essential and play an important role in environmental protection. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effluent quality of two wastewater treatment plants in Bandar Gaz and Bandar Turkmen, located in western Golestan Province. Methods: In this study, the concentrations of qualitative parameters including temperature, pH, BOD, COD, EC, nitrate, total suspended solids (TSS), total solids (TS), turbidity, total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen (DO), fecal coliform, and total coliform, along with discharge as a quantitative parameter, were evaluated in the effluent of the Bandar Gaz and Bandar Turkmen wastewater treatment plants during the 1400–1401 water year. The Catalan Water Agency Water Quality Index (ISQA), BOD/COD ratio, and pollutant removal efficiency were then assessed based on existing standards. Results and Discussion: The results showed that turbidity, total coliform, and BOD levels in the Bandar Gaz wastewater treatment plant were significantly higher than those in Bandar Turkmen. The BOD/COD ratio in the influent of both treatment plants was approximately 0.6, indicating that the wastewater could be effectively treated using biological methods. However, the BOD/COD ratio in the effluent was less than 0.3. The highest removal efficiencies were observed for TSS and BOD, respectively. In addition, the removal efficiency of most parameters in the Bandar Turkmen treatment plant was higher than that in the Bandar Gaz treatment plant, except for COD. The ISQA results indicated improved effluent quality after treatment, although the final effluent quality of both treatment plants remained in the relatively poor category. Conclusion: The results showed that microbial contamination in the effluent of the Bandar Gaz treatment plant was higher than that of the Bandar Turkmen treatment plant. The removal efficiency results also indicated that parameter removal rates in the Bandar Turkmen treatment plant (except COD) were higher than those in the Bandar

Abstract the study 3-year on the effect of different levels of nitrogen and planting density on the number of spikes per square meter. The number of seeds per spike, the weight of seeds per spike, the weight of 1000 seeds in improving dryland wheat yield, an experiment in the form of a split plot in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications in Crop years 2018-2021 were implemented in the rainfed lands of Gonbad kavos research station. Fertilizer treatments included 0, 46, 92, and 138 kg/ha of pure nitrogen from the source of urea fertilizer in the main plots, and planting density levels included 150, 225, 300, 375, 450, and 525 seeds per square meter in the secondary plots.
The results of comparing the average interaction effect of the treatments showed that the combination of levels of 138 kg of pure nitrogen and a density of 300 plants per square meter in the first year of the experiment with a seed yield of 4957 kg per hectare, fertilizer levels of 92 kg per hectare of pure nitrogen and a density of 375 plants per square meter in the second year Experiment with seed yield of 4408 kg/ha and density application of 525 plants/m2 and fertilizer level of 138 kg/ha Net nitrogen was the highest in the third year with a seed yield of 3235 kg/ha.

Abstract One of the most important challenges in water engineering is the management and control of free flows and water structures in order to protect natural resources, infrastructures and surrounding ecosystems. Baffle structures, as an effective tool in controlling and managing water flow, play an important role in optimizing hydraulic performance, dissipating flow kinetic energy and improving sediment transport. In this review, several studies on the types of baffles, hydraulic analyses based on the governing equations of fluid flow, and the mechanisms of action of these structures in open channels have been investigated. The main applications of baffles include flow measurement, energy control and flow velocity reduction, flow capacity management, erosion and scour reduction, improving the process of suspended solids removal in sedimentation basins, reducing the effects of sudden flows and floods, and managing debris flows. The findings show that the optimal use of baffles can increase the stability of hydraulic structures and help manage and reduce the negative effects of flow and flood downstream. This technology is widely used, especially in erosion control and flood management. The challenges and limitations in baffle design are also discussed and new trends in the development of these structures are introduced. By focusing on the challenges and limitations, this review emphasizes the need for systematic studies and wider use of baffle structures in water engineering projects and suggests future research directions.

Abstract Objective: This research, aiming to fill the existing research gap, evaluates the accuracy of three algorithms: (TFT) as a representative of the new generation of deep models based on Transformers, (GEP) as a symbolic evolutionary algorithm, and (ANFIS) as a soft computing model, in predicting daily peak discharge in the Taleghan watershed. Methods: Daily peak discharge data from five hydrometric stations over a 30-year period (1992-2021) were collected, refined, normalized, and transformed into four temporal input scenarios including the past 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. All models were trained in the R environment and evaluated using four indicators: NSE, MAE, RMSE, and R.
Results: The results indicated that the TFT model, by a significant margin, provided the best performance in all stations and scenarios. NSE values greater than 0.97 to 0.99, RMSE less than 0.1 and R close to 1 demonstrate the high capability of this model in accurately reconstructing discharge behavior. the GEP model had moderate performance but it performed more stably than ANFIS and showed relative superiority in some long-term horizons. The ANFIS model had the weakest performance.
Conclusions: TFT is by far the most accurate and reliable model for predicting daily peak discharge in the Taleghan watershed and is recommended for flood analysis on long-term time scales. GEP has acceptable performance but cannot compete with attention-based architectures. ANFIS, despite its efficiency in modeling non-linear relationships, has shown high sensitivity to temporal fluctuations in this study.

Abstract This study aims to analyze the spatial distribution of deep wells in Lorestan Province and identify critical groundwater extraction zones to prevent further decline in aquifer levels. Spatial datasets and logistic regression were employed in ArcGIS Pro to examine the relationship between well locations and physiographic variables, including elevation, precipitation, distance from drainage networks, slope, and aspect. The study area, covering approximately 28,500 km² in western Iran, features considerable climatic and topographic diversity, which enables a detailed assessment of the influence of natural factors on groundwater exploitation patterns. Input data included well locations, a digital elevation model, drainage networks, and the ten-year average precipitation. The results indicated that the probability of well occurrence could be classified into five categories, ranging from very low to critical. The largest portions of the province fell within the moderate (37.2%) and high (35.1%) probability classes, while about 12.6% of the area was identified as critical. These high-risk zones were primarily concentrated in low-elevation plains and areas adjacent to drainage channels. Model evaluation using the ROC curve, along with the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and Nagelkerke R², confirmed the model’s satisfactory predictive performance. The spatial zoning maps revealed that high well density in critical areas has led to a decline in the groundwater table, increased salinity, and a persistent negative water balance. Therefore, agricultural expansion and drilling of new wells in these zones should be strictly restricted. The findings of this study can support sustainable groundwater management and guide the designation of extraction-prohibited zones in Lorestan Province.

Abstract Objective: Salinity of water and soil is one of the major constraints limiting agricultural production in many regions of our country. The scarcity of freshwater resources has increased interest in the use of saline water for irrigation in agriculture and urban green spaces. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of saline water irrigation on the yield and characteristics of Moringa oleifera grown in micro-lysimeters under greenhouse conditions.
Methods: To evaluate the effects of salinity stress on leaf yield, calcium and nitrogen content, and morphological characteristics of Moringa oleifera, a greenhouse experiment was conducted at the Research Greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University during 2023–2024. The experiment was carried out as a completely randomized design with three replications under six salinity levels: 1 (control), 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 dS m⁻¹. Morphological traits measured included plant height, stem diameter, number of lateral branches, leaf dry weight, and total biomass dry weight.
Results: The results showed that salinity had a statistically significant effect at the 1% probability level on water use efficiency based on leaf yield, as well as leaf calcium and nitrogen content. Increasing salinity levels reduced leaf yield and calcium content. Statistical analysis also indicated significant correlations at the 5% probability level between nitrogen content and leaf yield, as well as between calcium and nitrogen content. Furthermore, significant differences at the 1% level were observed among salinity treatments for morphological traits, including plant height, stem diameter, number of lateral branches, leaf dry weight, and total biomass dry weight.
Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, saline water with salinity levels up to 4 dS m⁻¹ can be used for irrigation of Moringa oleifera without a significant reduction in leaf yield. Leaf yield, water use efficiency based on leaf yield, and calcium and nitrogen content in leaf extracts decreased significantly under saline irrigation. Moringa oleifera can tolerate irrigation water salinity up to 4 dS m⁻¹ and may therefore serve as a suitable management option in areas with poor-quality saline water resources for cultivation, economic development, and optimal water resource management. In addition, increasing irrigation water salinity reduced plant height, stem diameter, number of lateral branches, leaf dry weight, and total biomass dry weight

Abstract Objective: Soil erosion is one of the most critical environmental challenges in arid and semi-arid regions, threatening the sustainability of water and soil resources and increasing sedimentation in reservoir systems. The aim of this study was to quantitatively estimate and spatially map soil erosion risk in the Siahoo Dam watershed, located in South Khorasan Province, eastern Iran.
Methods: In this research, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was implemented within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. The use of this platform enabled the processing of large volumes of satellite data without the need for local computational resources. Five main RUSLE factors were derived and analyzed, including rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), topographic factor (LS), land use/land cover (C), and conservation practice factor (P). The R factor was calculated using 20 years of CHIRPS precipitation data. The K factor was derived by integrating soil texture maps and geological information. The LS factor was generated using the 30-meter SRTM digital elevation model. The C factor was extracted from ESA land cover products and Sentinel imagery, while the P factor was assigned based on slope classes and land use patterns.
Results: The results showed that the soil erodibility factor (K) was 0.029 (t·ha·h / ha·MJ·mm), indicating a relatively high susceptibility of the regional soils to water erosion. Soil erosion was unevenly distributed across the watershed. Based on model outputs and the FRWMO classification criteria, approximately 65.8% of the watershed was classified as very low erosion (0–10 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), 20% as low to moderate erosion (10–40 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), and nearly 14% as high to very high erosion (>40 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The mean annual soil loss was estimated at 15–20 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach for spatial erosion assessment.
Conclusions: The findings of this study demonstrate that integrating remote sensing with hydrological modeling in the GEE environment offers a rapid, scalable, and high-precision approach for identifying erosion-prone areas.

Abstract Objective: The primary objective of this research was to investigate the influence of dimensions and material types of geocomposite irrigation plates on soil moisture distribution patterns. Methods: The experiment was conducted as a two-factor factorial design based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The first factor involved geocomposite plate dimensions at three levels (4×4, 8×8, and 12×12 cm). The second factor compared two material types: Type 1 consisted of two geotextile layers sandwiching a geonet, and Type 2 consisted of one geotextile layer and one geomembrane layer on either side of the geonet. A pressure-compensating emitter (8 L/h) with a cover served as the control treatment (CTRL). Results: Results indicated that 12×12 cm geocomposite plates with one geotextile layer and one geomembrane layer (12TM) achieved the most significant effect and optimal wetted bulb conditions. This treatment resulted in a 37% reduction in the soil surface wetted area and a 28.19% increase in the maximum wetted area of the soil moisture profile compared to the control. The maximum wetted area was associated with the 12TM treatment (approximately 4500 cm²), while the minimum was recorded for the control (3250 cm²). Conclusions: Overall, the results demonstrated that the utilization of geocomposite irrigation plates significantly reduced the surface wetted area while increasing the maximum wetted area within the soil profile, with statistical significance at the 1% level.

Abstract Objective: In this research, remote sensing indices and SPEI climatic index over 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year intervals were used to monitor and evaluate drought in Khuzestan Province. Methods: Landsat data and climatic data from 13 meteorological stations over a 30-year period (1993-2023) were used. NDVI, LST, MNDWI, NDSI, and SPEI index were processed. Google Earth Engine was used to extract remote sensing indices, R-STUDIO was used to calculate SPEI, and Python was used for statistical analyses and plotting. Results: The northern and eastern regions of province experienced higher drought severity over 5-year period. NDVI indicated that vegetation increased in central areas and decreased in the mountains. MNDWI showed fluctuations in water bodies, and NDSI indicated a decrease in snow cover. LST showed an increase in land surface temperature, and SPEI identified long-term drought periods at stations such as Abadan and Baghmalek; however, improved moisture conditions were observed in Dezful/Sardasht. Conclusions: Remote sensing indices were more effective at detecting short-term (1-year) changes and providing spatial data, whereas SPEI was more suitable for analyzing long-term patterns (5 and 10 years) and identifying prolonged drought periods. Furthermore, increased LST, decreased NDSI, and fluctuations in water bodies indicate the combined effects of drought and climate warming in Khuzestan. Results showed that drought was not uniform across different regions of province. The northern and eastern regions were more vulnerable over the 5-year period, whereas central areas were in better condition due to their proximity to water resources and development of agricultural lands.