The Physical and Chemical Hydrology of a Niger Deltan tidal creek, Nigeria

Abstract

The physical and chemical conditions of the Buguma Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria were investigated between November, 2004 and October, 2006. Five stations, made up of two (4 and 5) from the main channel and three (1,2 and 3) from the associated interconnecting creeks were sampled. From the salinity record of 0-21%0, the creek ranges from limnetic/oligohaline to polyhaline condition. Of the twenty-five physical and chemical parameters determined, only water temperature, transparency, water level and total suspended solids were significantly different (P< 0.05) among the stations. The a posteriori DMR test showed that stations 1 and 2 which were still fairly well covered by mangrove had water temperature significantly lower (P< 0.05) than those of stations 3 to 5. Stations 2 and 4 had higher transparency than station 1. Station 4 had significantly higher water levels than stations 1 and 2 which were significantly different, while station 1 had significantly higher water level than stations 3 and 5 which were not significantly different. Stations 2 to 5 which were not significantly different from each other had significantly different total suspended solids than station 1. Most of the parameters were observed to exhibit temporal variations, due to high influx of run-off in the wet months, high incursion of seawater, and evaporation during the dry months. The generally low biochemical oxygen demand (0 – 4.50 mg/l), chemical oxygen demand (2.05 – 46.8 mg/l), and extremely low total hydrocarbon content (THC) (0.01 mg/l) indicate that the water was not polluted.