Assessment of silt deposit and soil physical properties along River Benue Bank, Adamawa State

Abstract

This research was aimed at assessing the presence of silt deposit and soil physical properties along the River Benue bank, Shinko area in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. This was to determine the soil textural classes which are important when transplanting and going into farming in the area. Three plots of 20m x 20m were randomly established at the solid waste area (SWA), silt + solid waste (SSW), silted (SA) and no-silt; no-waste (NWS) areas. Soil samples were collected at various depth levels (D₁ – 15cm, D₂ – 30cm, D₃ – 60cm) of the three plots laid in each of the four areas at a distance of 5m, 15m and 25m. 4x3 Factorial Experiments in Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) was used. Mechanical analysis tests for soil textural classes were also carried out. The result shows mean sizes of soil textural classes at 5m, 15m and 25m distances and at different depth levels of the study areas. At α = 0.05, the mean value of pH was significantly different at the various sampling locations. The silted area textural class shows sandy-loam, sandy and loamy-sand at 15cm, 30cm and 60cm depth level at 5m distance. To prevent future impacts and to curtail silt deposition, various measures should be considered in an attempt to reduce the effects of deforestation on the environment. Artificial regeneration should be encouraged in areas with trait of flooding and tree planting should be considered as part of all developmental projects.

Keywords: Siltation, River Benue, Soil, Flood and Deforestation