An Assessment of the Chemical Hydrology of Jabi Lake, Abuja, Nigeria

The variations in selected physico-chemical factors were investigated for two years to assess the chemical hydrology of LakeJabi in Abuja, Nigeria.Five stations were chosen on the reservoir to reflect the effect of human activities, lacustrine and lotic habitats.dissolved oxygen, nitrate, biochemical oxygen demand, ammonia, iron, lead, copper, and zinc were analyzed monthly between January 2017 and December 2018 using standard methods and procedures.Hydrological parameters such as water current and water depth were also analyzed.The ranges of these factors were found to be comparable to those reported for other African reservoirs except for the heavy metals and nitrate.Nitrate levels were found in higher concentration above freshwater limits.Runoff of fertilizers from nearby farm lands and increasing anthropogenic activities around the watershed into the lake were found to have caused cultural eutrophication in the lake.The study concludes that Jabi Lake has moderate water quality but increasing faced with the threat of cultural eutrophication.This threat to the water quality should be arrested quickly through denitrification and nutrient control to halt the degradation of the water.