A MORPHOMETRIC STUDY OF FIVE SELECTED DRAINAGE BASINS IN CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

The physical parameters of a watershed have been shown to influence the hydrological response of the watersheds to storm events. They are useful in geo-hydrological, flood risk mapping, neo-tectonic and landform studies most especially in the many ungauged basins across the world. In the developed parts of the world, there are usually gauged basins nearby which can be used in ungauged basin predictions. In the less developed parts of the world, gauged basins are few and far between while accurate and reliable topographical maps of many basins are scarce. This makes flow predictions using basin morphometry an important subject in these areas. A morphometric study of five selected basins in central Nigeria was carried out. The results show that all the basins have elongated shape, are not compact and have low drainage density indicating moderate runoff potentials. Low stream density and high constant of channel maintenance affirm that the basins have a high permeability. The hypsometric curves show that a large part of the basins are at a low relief which is typical of the Guinea savannah found in central Nigeria. The implications of these results are critical in management decisions of sustainable use of these basins to improve rural livelihoods