Water type and suitability of Oklahoma surface waters for public supply and irrigation; Part I, Arkansas river mainstem and Verdigris, Neosho, and Illinois river basins through 1978

Water-quality data in the Arkansas River mainstem and the Verdigris, Neosho, and Illnois River basins are examined for water type and suitability for public water supply and for irrigation use. The classification of water type is based on the relation of the major ions -- calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate/carbonate, sulfate, and chloride -- to each other within the range of measured specific conductance. The evaluation of suitability for use as a public supply is based on the concentration levels and distribution of selected constituents. The Wilcox irrigation classification scheme is used to relate sodium concentrations and the salinity distribution to the use of the water for irrigation. The possibility of boron phytotoxic effects is discussed where data are available.