Abstract
BackgroundHeadwater streams and small rivers within a catchment basin contribute greatly to the overall physico-chemical and biological quality of downstream larger freshwater systems; hence, there is a need to continually assess the water quality of such smaller systems. In this study, the three major tributaries (Obudu, Opa, and Esinmirin rivers) of a tropical reservoir were assessed for their water quality using some selected water and sediment parameters, as well as their macroinvertebrate faunae.ResultsAll the measured water parameters were found to be within the recommended standards for freshwater life in the three rivers, except for PO43− and dissolved oxygen in Opa River which was possibly due to anthropogenic factors. The bottom sediment of the rivers was predominantly sandy and generally low in chemical characteristics. A total of 17 species of macroinvertebrates were recorded in this study: 14 species in Obudu River, 12 species in Esinmirin River, and 11 species in Opa River. Diversity (Margalef and Shannon-Wiener) and Pielou’s evenness indices were all low and indicative of an impaired freshwater system, with the lowest indices recorded in the Esinmirin River. Some macrobenthic environmental indicators of poor water quality (e.g., Tubifex sp., Tipula sp., Chironomus sp., Bulinus globosus, and Eristalis sp.) were exclusively recorded in the Esinmirin and/or Obudu River.ConclusionThe study concludes that the reservoir’s headwaters were moderately polluted and had a tendency to become severely polluted by anthropogenic activities along the rivers. Measures should be put in place to reduce environmental impact on the quality of the headwaters and by implication, the reservoir.
Highlights
Headwater streams or rivers have been defined as the first 2.5 km of a watercourse from its most distant upstream source
A very good number of headwater streams are located in rural areas in which the predominant anthropogenic influence is farming and washing
Headwater streams are typically not characterized by high species richness of macroinvertebrates (e.g., Akindele & Olutona, 2015; Vannote, Minshall, Cummins, Sedell, & Cushing, 1980), Aliu et al The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology (2020) 81:11 they have been described as biodiversity hotspots for rare or threatened species (Furse, 2000)
Summary
Headwater streams or rivers have been defined as the first 2.5 km of a watercourse from its most distant upstream source. Ecological method of assessing water quality is hinged on two factors, i.e., community structure and indicator species. Benthic invertebrates have been more used by hydrobiologists than any other group of aquatic organisms, in developing ecological methods for water quality assessment (Friedrich et al, 2006; Voshell, 2002). The suitability of benthic macroinvertebrates in interpreting ecological conditions of running waters is owing to the fact that most members are sessile, relatively long-lived, occur all year long, and are in contact with sediments. They are preferred to any other group of organisms because they are more collected, handled, and reliably identified (Friedrich et al, 2006; Rosenberg & Resh, 1993). The three major tributaries (Obudu, Opa, and Esinmirin rivers) of a tropical reservoir were assessed for their water quality using some selected water and sediment parameters, as well as their macroinvertebrate faunae
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