Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Kings 2:19

"And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, we pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is bad, and the land miscarrieth." — 2 Kings 2:19 (ASV)

The water is naught, meaning it is "bad."

And the ground barren, meaning the land was "apt to miscarry." The stream was thought to be the cause of untimely births, abortions, and the like among the cattle, and perhaps also among the people who drank from it.