Geographical Influence on River-Water Quality in Benin-Owena River Basin

Abstract

Water resources management is essential for sustainable economic development. In view of this, this paper is aimed at evaluating the geographical influence on the river water quality in Benin-Owena river basin in South-west Nigeria within the following considerations: the physical description of the study area including land use and land cover; study of the social economic activities of the area and; field campaign for investigation of the rivers water quality parameters. River water in its natural state remains fairly acceptable for certain uses. In such water bodies, physical, chemical or biological impurities are usually a result of the soil or climatic condition of the water which alters only specific parameters. On the other end, a river that is affected largely by human influence and/or natural disasters such as landslide, earth quake, tsunamis etc. leave water bodies highly polluted with large alteration in its constituents. An example is the large variation that exists in Abuad farm, Igbemo, Ago Aduloju (places developed for farming, commercial and residential purposes) water bodies, there is a substantial increase in the physical, chemical and biological constituents of the water body. This is unlike Ita Eku (undeveloped for agricultural, commercial or industrial purpose) with relatively little variation in the constituents of the water body.