Use of isotopes to study floodplain wetland and river flow interaction in the White Volta River basin, Ghana

Floodplain wetlands influence the timing and magnitude of stream responses to rainfall. In managing and sustaining the level of water resource usage in any river catchment as well as when modelling hydrological processes, it is essential that the role of floodplain wetlands in stream flows is recogn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Isotopes in environmental and health studies 2010-03, Vol.46 (1), p.91-106
Main Authors: Nyarko, Benjamin Kofi, Kofi Essumang, David, Eghan, Moses J., Reichert, Barbara, van de Giesen, Nick, Vlek, Paul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Deuterium - analysis
Flood plains
Floods
Fresh Water - analysis
Fresh Water - chemistry
Freshwater
Geography
Ghana
hydrogen-2
isotope ecology
Oxygen Isotopes - analysis
oxygen-18
Rain
riparian wetlands
river
River basins
River flow
Rivers - chemistry
seasonal rainfall variations
Seasons
Time Factors
Water Movements
Wetlands
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Summary:Floodplain wetlands influence the timing and magnitude of stream responses to rainfall. In managing and sustaining the level of water resource usage in any river catchment as well as when modelling hydrological processes, it is essential that the role of floodplain wetlands in stream flows is recognised and understood. Existing studies on hydrology within the Volta River basin have not adequately represented the variability of wetland hydrological processes and their contribution to the sustenance of river flow. In order to quantify the extent of floodwater storage within riparian wetlands and their contribution to subsequent river discharges, a series of complementary studies were conducted by utilising stable isotopes, physical monitoring of groundwater levels and numerical modelling. The water samples were collected near Pwalugu on the White Volta River and at three wetland sites adjacent to the river using the grab sampling technique. These were analysed for 18 O and 2 H. The analysis provided an estimate of the contribution of pre-event water to overall stream flow. In addition, the variation in the isotopic composition in the river and wetland water samples, respectively, revealed the pattern of flow and exchange of water between the wetlands and the main river system.
ISSN:1025-6016
1477-2639
DOI:10.1080/10256010903388543