Streamflow Variability in Ossiomo River Catchment and Implications for Basin-wide Water Resources Management
Keywords:
flow, streamflow analysis, climate change, Ossiomo River catchment, Benin Formation
Abstract
Time series analysis of streamflow data from gauges installed in the main rivers of the Ossiomo River catchment has been undertaken using the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology’s Time Series Analysis computer code. The results show that all the rivers are perennial, receive groundwater contribution all the year round throughout their entire lengths and that this groundwater contribution is on the average, responsible for more than 70 per cent of total flow. This large percentage contribution also modulates the response of the rivers to the higher flows in the wet season, and as such, mitigates flood risks. The results also show that there are tremendous groundwater reserves available for development in the Benin Formation that releases the groundwater to the rivers from only its upper layers. The Flow Duration Curve for the Ikhowan River, the smallest river with a gauge, shows that Q50 is on the average about 5.5 m3 s-1, and thus, has good potential for small hydropower development. Finally, while flow characteristics have been determined from the very short and patchy records that are available, they give an insight into the water resources potential of Ossiomo River catchment and could have application, in some respects, for other rivers that flow on the Benin Formation but are ungauged.References
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Akpoborie, I. A. (2011). Aspects of the hydrology of the western Niger Delta wetlands: groundwater conditions in the Neogene (Recent) deposits of the Ndokwa area, Africa Geosciences Review 18 (3): 25-36
Akpoborie, I. A. and A. A. Osula (2000). Aspects of the Hydrology of the Western Niger Delta: The Ethiope River and Adofi River Catchments. Presented at the 13th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Association of Hydro Geologists, Benin City, November.
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Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority. (2007). Hydrological Year Book, Vol. V, Obayantor, Benin City.
Brodie, R.S. and Hostetler, S. (Undated). A review of techniques for analysing baseflow
from stream hydrographs. Available at ftp://ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/abegis/.../IAH05_Baseflow.pdf Accessed on 4 July, 2012.
FREND.(1989). 1: Hydrological Studies. II: Hydrological data. Flow Regimes from Experimental and Network Data. Wallingford, UK.
Horton R.E. (1933). The role of infiltration in the hydrological cycle. Trans. Am. Geophys. Union, 14, 446-460.
IPCC. (2007). Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and ulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson, Eds., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 7-22.
Izinyon, O.C. N. Ihimekpen, N and G.E. Igbinoba, G.E. (2011). Flood Frequency Analysis of Ikpoba RiverCatchment at Benin City Using Log Pearson Type III Distribution, Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences 2 (1): 50-55
Meyboom P (1961) Estimating ground-water recharge from stream hydrographs. Journal of Geophysical Research, 66(4), 1203-1214.
Marsh, N (2003) River Analysis Package, Software Version V1.0.1, CRC for Catchment Hydrology, Australia.
Nathan, R.J. and McMahon, T.A. (1990). Evaluation of Automated Techniques for Base Flow and Recession Analyses, Water Resources Research, 26(7): 1465-147
Nwajide, C.S. (2006). A guide for geological field trips to Anambra and related sedimentary basins in southeastern Nigeria. PTDF Chair , University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Offodile, M.E., (1992). An Approach to Ground Water Study and Development in Nigeria. Mecon Services, Jos. 247p.
Osula, A.A. (2007). Investigations and Assessment of Small Hydropower (SHP) potentials in some rivers within Benin-Owena River Basin Development Area. Water Resources17:29-38.
Oteze, G.E. (2011) Water supply, groundwater and flood control in Benin City, Presented at the NMGS, Benin Chapter sensitization workshop on water resources management and its implications in Benin City,22nd March.
Oteze, G.E.(1989). The Hydrogeology of the Northwest Nigeria Basin In C.A. Kogbe (ed.) Geology of Nigeria, Rockview, Jos, pp.455-472.
Reijers, T.J.A., Petters, S.W. Nwajide, C.S. (Eds.), (1996). The Niger Delta Basin, SPDC
Corporate Reprographic Services, Warri.
Short,KC, AJ Stauble (1967) Outline of geology of Niger delta. Bull. Amer. Assoc. Petr. Geol.:54(5):761-779.
Sloto R.A., Crouse MY (1996) HYSEP: A computer program for streamflow hydrograph separation and analysis. US Geological Survey, Water Resources Investigations Report 96-4040.
Smakhtin, V.U. (2001). Low flow hydrology: a review. Journal of Hydrology 240:147–186.
