Assessment of Limnological Variables Following the Shrinkage of Natu Lake, Bakura, Zamfara State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/Keywords:
Natu Lake, Water Quality, Soil Physicochemical Properties, Climate Change, Anthropogenic Activities, Bakura, Zamfara State, Sokoto-Rima BasinAbstract
Natu Lake, a shallow freshwater body in Bakura Local Government Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria, supports fishing, irrigation and farming in the surrounding communities of Bakura, Yarkofoji, Balgare and Gamji, yet no physicochemical baseline exists. This study established a preliminary physicochemical baseline for the lake water and adjoining soils. One composite water sample was analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), temperature, nitrate, total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity and total phosphorus (TP), and four soil samples were analysed for pH, EC, organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and particle-size distribution. Water pH (6.77), TDS (230 mg/L) and nitrate (5.6 mg/L) were within WHO (2022) and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ, 2015) limits. However, turbidity (285.3 NTU) exceeded the 5 NTU guideline more than fifty-fold, DO (4.1 mg/L) was below the 5 mg/L level adequate for fish, and TP (0.03 mg/L) placed the lake in the upper mesotrophic range. The soils were slightly acidic (pH 6.53 ± 0.19), clay loam in texture, low in total nitrogen (0.78 ± 0.06 g/kg) and CEC (4.13 ± 0.11 cmol(+)/kg), and very low in available phosphorus (0.24 ± 0.01 mg/kg). Sand content was moderately, but not significantly, negatively correlated with CEC (r = −0.70, n = 4). The high turbidity and low DO are consistent with catchment erosion linked to vegetation loss and desertification, and with irrigation, farming and fishing pressures. Seasonal multi-station monitoring, protection of catchment vegetation and soil-test-guided fertilizer use are recommended
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