Relationship Between Soil Texture and Infiltration Rate in the Guararé River Sub-basin

The Guararé River sub-basin is in the province of Los Santos, Azuero Region, known for being part of the dry arc of Panama due to the low amount of rainfall recorded in the area, which averages 1,500 mm/year. In addition, it is the only region in the country that faces a water deficit situation; this region frequently reports drought periods of up to seven months. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine the soil texture and estimate the infiltration rate of the sub-basin. The methodology consisted of taking soil samples at 59 points in the study area to determine their texture with the help of different ASTM Standards. In addition to estimating the infiltration rate at each point, using a Mini Disk infiltration meter. The results were analyzed with computer tools such as Excel MACROS, RStudio and ArcGIS Pro. The results were congruent with respect to the relationship between soil texture vs. infiltration rate. Identifying key areas for water conservation in the basin.