Morphometric Parameters as Correlate of Flooding in River Ajilosun in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The paper examines the relationship between morphometric parameters and flooding in River Ajilosun in Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Direct field measurement of some morphometric parameters of the river were carried out with the aid of tape measure, ranging pole and tie rod. Some data were also abstracted from the topographical map of the river on scale 1:50, 0000. This was in addition to some data which were generated through the systematic administration of 150 copies of structured questionnaire. The various data generated were subjected to descriptive statistics of the mean, standard deviation, range and percentages. This was also in addition to the use of Student’s‘t’ statistic for the testing of the hypotheses raised at 0.05 significant level. The outcome of the statistical analyses and the overall discovery of the study showed that the morphometric properties of the cross-sectional values of the width, depth and hydraulic radius vary spatially across and along the profiles of River Ajilosun. The result of the hypotheses revealed that channel width and channel depth dimensions exhibited spatial variation between the upper concrete-channelized and the lower non-concrete channelized (alluvial) reaches of the river. The result also indicated positive correlation values of channel depth and channel width with flooding in the river at 0.01 level. However, the hydraulic radius exhibit negative correlation with flooding and was significant at 0.05 level. The paper suggests wise modification of River Ajilosun channel, floodplain management and effective implementation of the urban planning regulation as some of the measures for controlling the effects of morphometry on flooding in River Ajilosun.