EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF GURARA DAM ON SURFACE WATER QUALITY WITHIN THE CATCHMENT IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.

77715 study evaluates Gurara dam impact on water quality within the catchment. Its objectives were to assess the quality ofs urface water within Gurara dam catchment area and compare the quality of surface water in the EIA baseline data with the present surface water quality. The result of this research work was gathered through laboratoty analysis of water samples collected within Gurara dam catchment. Data collected were analsysed using mean, range, coefficient of variance and student V test. This study found that all water quality parameters measured were within National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) limits for irrigation except for DO, BOD and COD; all surface water quality parameters have lesser calculated 7’ values than critical values expect for BOD. Therefore, Ho is accepted for all parameters expect for BOD, so there is no significant difference in the water quality parameters (temperature, pH, turbidity, total dissolved solid, total suspended solid, total solid, dissolved oxygen, COD) expect BOD. Although, all surface water quality parameters vary between the EIA and the present surface water quality but only BOD changed significantly. Since the present surface water samples have higher mean of BOD than the EIA baseline data, BOD has increased significantly after the dam construction. It was concluded that dam have significant negative impacts on water quality as BOD have been altered significantly after dam construction. Thus this study