Purpose: to assess the ecological and reclamation state of an irrigated area on southern chernozems to restore its fertility. Materials and methods. The object of research is southern chernozems located in the dry steppe zone of Semikarakorsky district Rostov region, irrigated with II class water. To study the ecological and reclamation state of the irrigated area, soil samples, in which the water extract and the soil absorbing complex (SAC) compositions, the total humus, and the granulometric composition were determined, were taken. The soil bulk density was determined in the pits by the ring method according to Kachinsky. Results. It has been stated that southern chernozems, despite the presence of alkalinity in the parent rock (2.04–2.24 mmol(eq)/100 g), in general, up to 160 cm are mostly non-alkaline. Significant changes were noted in SAC, in which there was an accumulation of exchangeable sodium (up to 5–7 %) and magnesium (19–24 % of ∑ SAC) and a decrease in exchangeable calcium by 8 % compared to the natural one. These negative phenomena provoked a decrease in the humus content to 2.83 % (with the optimal parameter for this zone being 4 %) and soil compaction to 1.37 t/m³. Conclusions. The actual data on the ecological and reclamation state of the irrigated area indicated the variability of the main properties of the southern chernozem during prolonged irrigation with water of an unfavorable composition towards their deterioration in comparison with the criteria for a favorable ecological state of these soils. To improve the ecological and reclamation state of the surveyed irrigated area, measures are proposed depending on the indicators, such as the accumulation of organic matter, deep loosening, chemical reclamation, soil saturation with calcium, and groundwater diversion.