An Investigation of the Hydrochemical Parameters for Natural Monuments

Armenia, is situated amidst a rich tapestry of surface and underground water resources. Groundwater, constituting the Earth's most abundant source of fresh water, plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystems and human activities. This paper focuses on three natural monuments located in Vayots Dzor and addresses the pressing need for water resource preservation in Armenia. The urgency arises from the escalating mining activities and the growing demands of fish production systems. The primary objective of this study is the thorough investigation of hydrochemical parameters of hydrogeological natural monuments within Vayots Dzor. The article delineates key hydrochemical parameters of three such monuments, integral to characterizing their freshwater characteristics. A notable innovation of this paper lies in its initial attempts to gather characteristic data. Surprisingly, none of the governmental structures, including the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA, Ministry of Health of RA, and relevant regional and local authorities, possessed such data. Consequently, an information base was established for several monuments, providing not only conservation priority measures but also strategies for the effective utilization of potential destinations. The acquired data underwent pre-analysis and comparison with national standards, existing literature, and data from mineral water brands available in markets. The water sampling and analysis for the natural hydrogeological monuments—namely, “Source of Moz,” “Source of Paruyr Sevak,” and “Source of Grav”—were conducted with methodological and technical support from specialists affiliated with the “Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre” under the Ministry of Nature Protection of the RA. The findings of this study contribute not only to the understanding of the hydrochemical parameters of these natural monuments but also provide valuable insights for sustainable water resource management in the region.