Bathymetric Survey and Volumetric Analysis for Sustainable Management: Case Study of Suleja Dam, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ocean floor and the shape of the shoreline are major influencers of the changes in tidal propagation. Bathymetry; a survey operation aimed at determining the nature of the underwater level and topography of a water body’s bed level plays a cogent role in the determination of both the shape of the shoreline and the ocean floor thereby aiding the monitoring and spatio-temporal modelling of the changes in tidal propagation as much as it ensures the availability of hydro-data which is the foundation of a Maritime Database Management System (MDBMS). This work presents the findings of the bathymetric survey and volumetric analysis of Suleja Dam located in the North central Region of Nigeria. The Differential Global Positioning System receiver (DGPS) (Promark 3), automatic level, echomap 50s in conjunction with the engine boat were used during this research. The data acquired was processed using the GNSS solutions software with the chart plotted in surfer 9 software environment. The surface area of the dam was discovered to be 24.64ha less than the designed area. Also the volume of water was found to be 3.6 x 10⁶m³ in contrast to the design volume of 34.7x10⁶m³. It was also observed that the lowest water depth was 0.56m and the highest water depth was 22.06m, therefore a difference of 5.94m was obtained as against the initial construction depth of 28.00m. The undulating nature of the reservoir bed and the difference in volume of water and surface area covered by the dam are pointers and clear indications of sedimentation and siltation process going on in the dam.

Keywords: Bathymetry, sounding, chart, reservoir, MDBMS