Hydrobiological studies on Warri River Nigeria. Part II: seasonal trend in the physico-chemical limnology

Abstract

Investigation of the physical and chemical parameters of Warri River was carried out to assess the impact of human activities on the aquatic ecosystem. Most parameters had their values markedly lower during the wet season than the dry season, indicating much of dilution in the stations due to runoff. The data collected differ significantly (P<0.01) except water temperature and conductivity (P>0.05) at the study stations. Correlation coefficient revealed that conductivity was positively significantly correlated (P<0.05, r=0.929) with dissolved solids, total solids, salinity and calcium, while phosphate was inversely significantly correlated (P<0.05, r=-0.63) with conductivity and total solids. The nutrient level of the river was relatively high with Nitrate-N and Phosphate-P ranging between 0.00 and 12.85 mg 1-1.

Keywords: seasonality, water chemistry, limnology, Warri River

Tropical Freshwater Biology 2003/2004 Vol. 12/13: 9-23