PRODUCTIVITY STATUS OF DADIN KOWA RIVER CONTINUUM, GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA

Assessment of Physico-chemical parameters, occurrence and distribution of Aquatic biotain Dadin-Kowa River Contiuum Gombe State were carried out for a period of Eighteenmonth. Three sampling stations were chosen and standard methods and identificationguide were used to determine physicochemical and biological parameters. Result ofPhysicochemical parameters showed that Temperature, pH, Alkalinity, Transparency andConductivity ranged between 21 - 27oC, 6.3-7.8, 28.1-46.2mg/L, 48.5-76.7cm, 54.0-397.5μs/cm respectively, while Dissolved oxygen concentration, Biochemical OxygenDemand, Calcium, Magnesium, Hardness, Iron, Nitrate-Nitrogen, Phosphate-Phosphorusranged between l.l-3.4mg/L, 2.2-39mg/L, 11.3-23.2mg/L, 4.5-8.9mg/L, 40.0-88.5mg/L,0.1-3.3mg/L, 0.3-1.5mg/L, 0.3-2.0mg/L respectively. A total of sixteen (16)phytoplankton species were recorded of which four classes of algae were identified. Theseare chlorophyta (25.9%), cyanophyta (23.9%), bacillariophyta. (48.9%) and dinophyta(15. 7%).Three major classes of zooplankton were recorded rotifera (36.9%) cladocera(35.5%) and copepoda (27.4%). Distribution of planktons varied with the variation in thephysico-chemical parameters. The findings of the study revealed that the water body ofDadin-Kowa was moderately polluted.