Oana IONUS
Abstract: The present paper aims at determining the water quality on the Motru river and at establishing its usage domains as water resource. The method consists in the computation of the Water Quality Index on the basis of the physical-chemical and biological quality parameters that were registered at the monitoring stations placed on the Motru river (Cloşani, Broşteni, and Faţa Motrului). This index was computed for a long time interval (2000 – 2009) and it specifies the appropriate usage category, but it can also reveal the changes occurred at the level of the aquatic ecosystem. The novelty brought to the flowing water quality management consists in the underlining of the value of this index as potential indicator of the ecological state of the rivers.