Abstract
Water is an essential part of biological life. Maintaining its quality is a major concern for a society that needs to meet ever-increasing water needs. Algeria, which has a strategic position and counts no less than 254 wetlands, 42 of which are classified internationally for their importance and the role they play; These wetlands are threatened by the combined action of adverse factors related to changes in land cover and economic development projects that affect the ecological character of these sites. The chemical composition of a water plays an important role in determining its quality, thus the possibility of its use for drinking water supply or other uses (irrigation, industry, etc.). The marshes of the Mekhada constitute a special environment, where the winter a lake settles down, and during the summer pastures. This area is the convergence of the Bou Namoussa and El Kebir wadis. It is limited to the north by dunes and to the south by sandstone massifs. This marsh is a very important site for welcoming overwintering and also summer water birds. The aim of this work is to monitor the variations in the physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of the waters of the Mekhada marsh, at the level of this fishing zone. Analysis of water physico-chemical parameters showed that some parameters do not meet international standards, notably nitrites; nitrates; phosphates; ammonium. In addition, microbiological analysis showed the presence of significant fecal contamination by total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms and faecal streptococci.
Key Words: Mekhada, Physico-chemical parameters, Microbiological quality
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