Hydraulic Head Analysis and Groundwater Flow System in Part of Otukpo, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

The use of hydrogeological methods for groundwater studies has efficiently reduced the risk associated with poor groundwater exploration and exploitation in geologically difficult terrains. Groundwater inventories of shallow hand-dug wells were the approach used in the current investigation in Otukpo. Well inventories were collected within the area of study. The coordinate, depth to water level and the total drill depth of about 200 hand-dug wells were used in the study. The surface elevation of the study area in meters ranges from 140 m to 208 m above the datum sea level. The minimal total depth of well in the area is 2.3 m with a maximum well depth of 14.2 m from field measurements. There exist a trend of downward and upward change in water levels in the individual wells randomly sampled across the study area. The depth to static water level in the wells ranges from 1.8 m to 14.0 m. Wells completed nearer to the surface in the northern region of the study area have similar water levels, while wells completed in the southern region show higher relative heads. The hydraulic head of the well in the study ranges from 113.0 to 201. The hydraulic head of the groundwater in the area mimic the topographic variation of the area. Groundwater flow direction as computed from the hydraulic head of shallow hand-dug wells in the area show a northward flow direction.