Abstract
Many inland waters are becoming more saline from human activities, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. The causes and distribution of anthropogenic salinisation, the salinisation of freshwater lakes, rivers and streams, and increases in the salinity of large, permanent saline lakes are discussed. The impacts of anthropogenic salinisation are far-reaching, increasing, deleterious and largely irreparable. Environmental, social and environmental costs are high. Attention is drawn to the importance of anthropogenic salinisation and its impacts. The need for better recognition of the costs of salinisation and for more effective management is stressed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beal, A., 1993. Dryland salinity management in the Murray- Darling Basin. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.
Bohrer, B., H. Heidenreich, M. Schimmele, & M. Schultze, 1998. Numerical prognosis for salinity profiles of future lakes in the opencast mine of Merseburg-Ost. Int. J. Salt Lake Res. 7: 235–260.
Boulton, A. J. & M. Brock, 1999. Australian Freshwater Ecology: Processes and Management. Gleneagles Publishing, Adelaide.
Clarke, F.W., 1924. The composition of the river and lake waters of the United States. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 135: 1–199.
Davies, B. R. & J. Day, 1998. Vanishing Waters. University of Cape Town Press, Cape Town.
Davies, B. R., M. C. Thoms, K. F. Walker, J. H. O'Keefe & J. A. Gore, 1994. Dryland rivers: their ecology, conservation and management. In Calow, P. & G. E. Petts (eds), The Rivers Handbook, vol. 2. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Evans, R. S., 1989. Saline water disposal options in the Murray Basin. BMR J. Aust. Geophys. 11: 167–185.
FAO, 1990. Water and sustainable agricultural development: an international action plan. A strategy for the implementation of the Mar del Plata Action Plan for the 1990s. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Ghassemi, F., A. J. Jakeman & H. A. Nix, 1995. Salinisation of Land and Water Resources. Human Causes, Extent, Management and Case Studies. University of New South Wales Press, Sydney.
Glazovsky, N. F., 1995. Aral Sea. In Mandych, A. F. (ed.), Enclosed Seas and Large Lakes of Eastern Europe and Middle Asia. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam.
Groombridge, B. & M. Jenkins, 1998. Freshwater Biodiversity: a preliminary global assessment. WCMC Biodiversity Series no. 8. World Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Conservation Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Houghton, J. T., L. G. Meiro Filho, N. Callander et al. (eds), 1996. Climate Change 1995, the Science of Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Kefford, B. J., 1998. The relationship between electrical conductivity and selected macroinvertebrate communities in four river systems of south-west Victoria, Australia. Int. J. Salt Lake Res. 7: 153–170.
Letolle, R. & M. Mainguet, 1993. Aral. Springer-Verlag, Paris.
Macumber, P. J., 1991. Interaction between Groundwater and Surface Systems in Northern Victoria. Department of Conservation and Environment, Melbourne.
Murray, J., 1910. The characteristics of lakes in general, and their distribution over the surface of the globe. In Murray, J. & L. Pullar (eds), Bathymetrical Survey of the Scottish Freshwater Lochs. Vol. 1. Challenger Office, Edinburgh: 514–658.
Pillsbury, A. F., 1981. The salinity of rivers. Scientific American 245: 32–43.
Reati, G. J., M. Florin, G. J. Fernandez & C. Montes, 1997. The Laguna de Mar Chiquita (Cordoba, Argentina): a little known, secularly fluctuating saline lake. Int. J. Salt Lake Res. 5: 187–219.
Reisner, M., 1993. Cadillac Desert. The American West and its Disappearing Water. Penguin Books, New York.
Schmitz, W., 1956. Salzgehaltschwankungen in der Werra und ihre fischereilichen Auswirkungen. Vom Wasser 23: 113–136.
Sharp, R. P. & A. F. Glazner, 1997. Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens Valley. Mountain Press, Missoula, Montana.
Stanford, J. A. & J. V. Ward, 1986. Reservoirs of the Colorado system. In Davies, B. R. & K. F. Walker (eds), The Ecology of River Systems. Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht: 375–383.
Williams, W. D., 1986. Limnology, the study of inland waters: a comment on perceptions of salt lake studies, past and present. In De Deckker, P. & W. D. Williams (eds), Limnology in Australia. CSIRO and Dr W. Junk Publishers, Melbourne and Dordrecht: 471–484.
Williams, W. D., 1987. Salinization of rivers and streams: an important environmental hazard. Ambio 16: 180–185.
Williams, W. D., 1993. The worldwide occurrence and limnological significance of falling water-levels in large, permanent saline lakes. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 25: 980–983.
Williams, W. D., 1996. What future saline lakes? Environment 38: 12–20, 38-39.
Williams, W. D., 1998. The Management of Inland Saline Waters. Guidelines of Lake Management. Vol. 6. ILEC/UNEP, Kusatsu.
Williams, W. D., 1999a. Salinisation: a major threat to water resources in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Lakes and Reservoirs: Research and Management 4: 85–91.
Williams, W. D., 1999b. Wetlands, salinity and the River Murray: three elements of a changing environmental scenario. What can be done? Rivers for the Future 10: 30–33.
Williams, W. D. & N. V. Aladin, 1991. The Aral Sea: recent limnological changes and their conservation significance. Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshwat. Ecosyst. 1: 3–23.
Williamson, D. R., G. W. B. Gates, G. Robinson, G. K. Linke, M. P. Seker & W. R. Evans, Salt trends. Historic trend in salt concentration and salt load of stream flow in theMurray-Darling Drainage Basin. Dryland Salinity Report no. 1. Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Canberra.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, W. Anthropogenic salinisation of inland waters. Hydrobiologia 466, 329–337 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014598509028
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014598509028