SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION IN SOME ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES OF BOSSO DAM, NIGERIA

Abstract

Bosso dam was constructed primarily for the Niger River basin municipal supply of drinking water and for other domestic use. Physico-chemical properties of Bosso Dam, Bosso, Niger state Nigeria were investigated monthly between September, 2015 and February, 2016 to determine seasonal variation, as well as providing a baseline data for monitoring water quality changes prompted by human induced factors. Water samples were collected from three accessible stations of the dam for chemical analyses using standard methods. One – way ANOVA were used to evaluate relationships between environmental variables with PAST. Findings on the physico-chemical status of the water revealed that temperature ranged from 27.0oC-30.5oC, weak acidic to weak alkaline pH range of 6.7-7.3, Dissolved Oxygen Concentration (5.0-8.0mg/l) was marginally high while the BOD range of (2.0-5.0mg/l) was relatively high. The essential primary productivity nutrients, Nitrogen (0.12-0.19mg/l), Phosphate (0.02-0.09mg/l) and Sulphate (9.3-17.7mg/l) were relatively low in all the sampled stations. The lake is not eutrophic, so, various management strategies such as periodic monitoring of physico-chemical parameters should be carried out and hence the need for an effective anthropogenic inputs control programme in the dam. The study further revealed that the dam could be used for irrigation purposes for dry season farming, health wise; the water should undergo a little treatment before consumption even though the dam was constructed purposely for the supply of drinking water to the people of Bosso and the environs.