Abstract: In this study, soil survey was conducted at Hecaogou village of Tongxin County, which is located at the area of Ningxia irrigated by lifting up water from the Yellow River. On the basis of soil survey, irrigation induced changes in soil salinity, soil texture, nutrient and trace element content and their impacts on soil sandification, salinization and soil environmental quality were analyzed and discussed. The results indicate that: (1) Irrigation can obviously reduce the salt content of surface soil, but there is a trend for salt to gather at the depth of 50~90 cm and soil salization is likely to emerge again if irrigation were ceased or irrigation water were reduced; (2) The sandification is mitigated, with a decreasing in sand fraction and an increasing in clay fraction; (3) Irrigation may slightly increase the nutrient content, with the organic matter content and the total P increased more than others, while increase of Copper, Chromium, Zinc, Nickel and Cadmium content will partly decrease the soil environment quality and the soil F leaching is a challenge for reducing F poisoning in this area.

Key words: Irrigation by lifting up water from Yellow River, Soil environment