Impact of Seasonal Changes on the Algal Diversity at Girana River in Kalwan Tehsil, Nashik Dist., Maharashtra, India

Girana river is a significant tributary of the area. Along with providing water for cultivation in around three tehsils of both districts, the dam serves the drinking water needs of one-fourth of Kalwan and Malegoan, an emerging industrial town from Nashik districts and Dhule district. A research to document the algal diversity of the Girana River with respect to seasonal variation was carried out in light of the significance of reliance on the water from the dam. From December 2023 to November 2024, samples were collected from five distinct locations within the Girana reservoir. Temperature, turbidity, pH, D.O. and other physiochemical data were recorded, as was the association between them. It was found that Algal diversity increased with increased temperature, D.O., and different nutrient factors over the course of the study, numerous algal species were identified. Members of the Chlorophyta dominated nearly every composition, whereas the Euglenophyta were the least numerous. This suggests that the diversity of algae is limited during wet seasons and increases during the winter and summer.