Jean-Louis Perrin: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France. Jean-Louis.Perrin@univ-montp2.fr.
Christian Salles: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Chrystelle Bancon-Montigny: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Naoual Raïs: Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Fès, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Route d'Imouzzer BP 2202, 30000, Fez, Morocco.
Nanée Chahinian: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Lauryan Dowse: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Claire Rodier: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Marie-George Tournoud: HydroSciences Montpellier (UMR 5569, CNRS, IRD, UM), Université Montpellier, CC 57, 163 rue Auguste Broussonnet, 34090, Montpellier, France.
Water quality indexes (WQI) are a practical way to evaluate and compare the level of chemical contamination of different water bodies and to spatially and temporally compare levels of pollution. The purpose of this study was to check if these indexes are appropriate for intermittent rivers under arid and semi-arid climates. A literature review enabled the comparison of 25 water quality indexes to discern their capability to evaluate spatial (inter and intra catchment) and temporal (high and low water flow conditions) variations in water quality in three Mediterranean intermittent rivers: the River Vène (France) and the Oued Fez and the River Sebou (Morocco). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified groups of WQI with similar behavior and brought to light the 6 most distinguishing indexes. Whatever the hydrological conditions at the two sites, both the ME-MCATUHE and NCS indexes, which were developed for Morocco and Greece, and the CCMEWQI and BCWQI indexes, which were developed for non-arid or semi-arid zones, gave appropriate water quality evaluations.
