Morphometric Parameters of the Calabar River Basin: Implication for Hydrologic Processes

Abstract

The study examined the morphometric parameters of the Calabar River Basin with emphasis on its implicationfor hydrologic processes. Data for this study were obtained from topographic map which were subject to fieldconfirmation. The result revealed that the basin area was 1 514km2. There were 223 streams with a total streamlength of 516.34km. The textural dissection was considered to be low as drainage density, stream frequency anddrainage intensity values were 0.34km-1, 0.15km-1 and 0.05 respectively. The basin was found to be stronglyelongated with circularity ratio of 0.34 and elongation ratio of 0.64. The average bifurcation ratio was 2.83. Thevery low value of drainage intensity implies that drainage density and stream frequency have very little effect onthe extent to which the surface has been lowered by agents of denudation. These low values of drainage density,stream frequency and drainage intensity also imply that surface runoff is not quickly removed from the basin,making it susceptible to flooding, gully erosion and landslides, particularly in the lower part of the basin. It istherefore recommended that human activities that could impact negatively on stream network in the basin shouldbe discouraged.