The Hydrology and Plankton of the River Sokoto

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Abstract
Two stations were sampled in the River Sokoto, Nigeria, near Birnin Kebbi, one in the main stream and the other in a pool isolated during the dry season. Birnin Kebbi has one wet season each year. Approximately monthly data over 3 1/2 years are given for water level, temperature, pH, alkalinity, oxygen and transparency. Samples were also taken for chemical analysis, phyto-plankton and zooplankton. Water temperatures tend to follow air shade minima. Nutrients, especially sulphate, are low, but calcium is abundant and pH and alkalinity usually high. Oxygen rarely falls to levels lethal to fish. Transparency is high at the end of the rains and falls to a minimum due to plankton at the end of the dry season. Differences between river and pool are attributed to evaporation. Phytoplankton is scarce except from March to June and more abundant in the pool than the river. Rotifera, Cladocera and Copepoda are most abundant in the dry season, Rhizopoda during floods. Differences between years are attributed to differences in nutrients and phytoplankton. The zooplankton is sparse compared with that of the Illinois River and the Blue Nile. [long dash]Auth. summ.

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