EFFECT OF LATERAL VELOCITY DISTRIBUTION ON TURBIDITY IN RIVER OSE, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This work investigated the relationship between lateral velocity distribution and turbidity across Ose River in Ondo State, Nigeria. Data were collected at coordinates 7⁰ 18’ 35.5” N and 5⁰ 39’ 52.5” E for two-year period. The relationship between lateral velocity distribution and turbidity values obtained were plotted. The trends showed that as velocity increases across the channel width, turbidity decreases. This could be responsible for the clearer water at the mid-section compared to those obtained near the banks which is attributed to concentration of suspended solids dispersed toward the bank/edge of the river by velocity across the channel. The clear seasonal pattern of velocities increasing laterally across the channel width with corresponding decrease in turbidity is seen across all sampling data, suggesting this is a true representation of variability in the river.