Abstract
Some physicochemical parameters and macro-elements of Lake Alau were studied in five stations, designated as stations A, B, C, D, and E respectively. Monthly water samples were collected daily between 6:00 am and 9:00 am in a two litre plastic container, for a period of ten months (July 2012 to April 2013), covering both wet and dry seasons, and analyzed. The results showed high atmospheric and surface water temperature in April, pH in December, transparency in October, and depth in August. Higher dissolved oxygen was recorded in April while biochemical oxygen demand was high in March. The macro-element values were 172.07, 16.56, 3.82, 0.47, 0.71, 1.48, 6.28, 0.14, 3.62, 9.81, 0.46, 3.55, and 0.56 for EC, CEC, Cl, Cu, P, Fe, K+, Pb, Mg, Na, PO4, 2+, Ca and Zn respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in temperature, DO, BOD, EC, Fe, and Zn values for each month. These variations may be due to the effects of fertilizer application, herbicides, and insecticides applied to irrigated farms around the lake shores. The parameters were within the range for unpolluted water bodies, indicating the suitability of Lake Alau for fish growth. In addition, the knowledge derived could be applied as an index for other man-made lakes in arid zones which could be used as baseline information for its productivity and pollution status.
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