Propuesta de gestión del río Mindo orientado al uso recreativo del agua, utilizando la evaluación de la calidad del agua

Abstract

Mindo, located northwest of the province of Pichincha, has become a center of tourism development at the national level. Study and evaluate the quality of the water of the Mindo River for recreational use is important to present a proposal for a management oriented to preserve and improve their quality. In the theoretical framework, physical, chemical and microbiological parameters that determine water quality, according to the Ecuadorian legal framework are discussed. External factors that affect water quality of Mindo River are investigated in the project baseline within its area of influence. The methodology includes field research, laboratory analysis and further processing of data. The number of samples are determined by statistical principles and sampling points are determined considering the characteristics of the study area. The results are processed and compared with the “Texto Unificado de Legislación Ambiental Secundaria del Ministerio de Ambiente” (TULSMA). It has established a rate characteristic of water quality for recreational use of the river Mindo (ICARM). According to this index Mindo river water in the area of study has a quality medium to good. Within the study of the hydrographic basin of the Mindo River, the water balance was determined to learn about their behavior, resulting in that there is no water stress even in the months of July and August which are more dry months. As one of the main conclusions was that it is important to take measures that prevent the affectation of the River since this is one of the main attractions of the area around which turns the tourist activity, the main economic activity of the population.