Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data in Monitoring Water Quality at Ndakaini Reservoir Dam, Kenya

Pollution from anthropogenic and natural processes threatens most fresh water resources. In Kenya, drought and occasional floods affects water quality negatively impacting health of humans and ecosystem. Currently the use of in situ observation methods for monitoring water quality is inadequate, periodic and at selected sample points. The potential of remote sensing-based techniques in examining water quality in open water bodies is explored. Aim of this study was to assess variability in Chlorophyll concentration (Chl_a), water temperature (SST) and Suspended Sediment Concentrations (SSC) of Ndakaini Dam before and after the destructive April-May 2018 floods. Landsat 8 OLI imagery and QGIS V 2.14 Essen geospatial software were used. The results indicated that Chlorophyll concentration levels decreased by 0.26mg/l, water temperature dropped by 30C while Suspended Sediment increased by 2.57mg/l. Generally, analysed water quality parameters showed a spatial and temporal variation across the April-May 2018 floods. Ndakaini dam was found to be a low-level pollution mesotrophic reservoir.

Ndakaini Reservoir, Remote sensing, Water Quality, real-time monitoring

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