Kualitas Air Sungai di Dalam dan Luar Kawasan Cagar Alam Sibual – Buali, Tapanuli Selatan
Abstract
Cagar Alam (CA) Sibual – buali merupakan kawasan hutan konservasi yang berfungsi sebagai perlindungan sistem hidrologi, salah satunya yaitu aliran Sungai Aek Nabara dan Sungai Aek Sitandiang supaya tetap terjaga kualitas airnya dari kerusakan. Penggunaan lahan sempadan sungai di luar kawasan CA akan berpengaruh terhadap perubahan kualitas perairan dibawahnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji status kualitas air Sungai Aek Nabara, dan Sungai Aek Sitandiang di dalam kawasan dan perubahannya di luar kawasan Cagar Alam Sibual – buali. Penelitian dilakukan di Sungai Aek Nabara dan Sungai Aek Sitandiang. Metode pengumpulan data berupa data fisik kualitas air, pengambilan spesimen makrozoobenthos, dan data beban pencemaran. Pencemaran di dalam kawasan cagar alam lebih rendah dibandingkan dengan di luar kawasan cagar alam dan pengaruh potensi beban pencemaran Sungai Aek Nabara dan Aek Sitandiang masih relatif kecil pada masing – masing sumber pencemar. Beban pencemaran total masing – masing sungai tergolong rendah sehingga mendukung status pencemaran kedua sungai pada kategori rendah. Kata kunci: Aek Nabara, Aek Sitandiang, Cagar Alam Sibual – buali, kualitas air The Sibual - Buali Nature Reserve (CA) is a conservation forest area that functions as a protection for the hydrological system, one of which is the Aek Nabara River and Aek Sitandiang River to maintain its water quality from damage. Use of riparian land outside the CA area will affect changes in the quality of the waters below. This study aims to assess the water quality status of the Aek Nabara River and Aek Sitandiang River in the area and its changes outside the Sibual - Buali Nature Reserve. The research was conducted in the Aek Nabara River and Aek Sitandiang River. The data collection methods are physical water data, water quality data, macrozoobenthos specimen collection, and pollution load data. Pollution inside the nature reserve area is lower than that outside the nature reserve area and the effect of the potential pollution load of the Aek Nabara and Aek Sitandiang rivers is still relatively small at each pollutant source. The total pollution load of each river is classified as low so that it supports the pollution status of the two rivers in the low category. Keywords: Aek Nabara, Aek Sitandiang, Sibual – buali nature reserve, water quality