Assessing groundwater potentials using geoelectric data: A case study of parts of Southern Bida Basin, North Central, Nigeria

Evaluation of groundwater potentials can provide a lucid understanding of viable areas for sustainable groundwater exploitation especially in water scarce regions. This research, therefore, aims to assess groundwater potentials in parts of Southern Bida Basin, North central Nigeria by utilizing vertical electrical sounding data. The method employed involved a geophysical survey using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) conducted in 20 locations across the study area. Dar-zarouk parameters was then utilized to derive the aquifer hydraulic parameters and the groundwater potentials estimated accordingly. The results reveals that the range of aquifer thickness, longitudinal conductance, transverse resistivity, hydraulicconductivity and transmissivity are 1.89-45.70 m (mean-18 m), 0.2-5.80 mhom (mean-0.84 mhom), 24.3-11026 Ωm2 (mean-2970 Ωm2 ), 1-74 m/day (mean-20 m/day), and 13-2543 m2 /day (mean-382 m2 /day), respectively. The classified groundwater potentials presented with a map, reveals three (3) classes namely: very high, high, and intermediate potentials covering 4%, 15%, and 81% of the study area, respectively. The value of the aquifer parameters computed indicate that the high values of parameters such as transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity reside within the southeastern, central and Northeastern part of the study area, with notable towns like KotonKarfe, Lokoja and Abaji, respectively. The groundwater potentials, therefore indicates predominance of intermediate potentials in the study area, which conforms with the aquifer hydraulic parametervalues obtained. It is therefore recommended that surface water sources should be deployed to complement water supply in areas with low groundwater potentials to meet large scale water need.