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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Article
Quantity and Trends in Streamflows of the Malewa River Basin, Kenya
Author(s)
Musa Cheruiyot1, Gladys Gathuru2 and James Koske3
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DOI:10.17265/2162-5263/2018.01.003
Affiliation(s)
1. WWF Regional Office for Africa, Nairobi 62440-00200, Kenya
2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi 43844-00100, Kenya
3. Department of Environmental Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi 43844-00100, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Freshwater availability in sufficient quantity and quality is necessary
for both people and nature. Environmental flow data is useful in the management
and allocation of water resources. This study aimed at quantifying stream flows and their trends in the
Malewa Basin rivers in central rift valley, Kenya. Daily
stream flow data (1960-2013) in four gauges (2GB01, 2GB05, 2GB0708 and 2GC04)
were subjected to exploratory data analysis, fixed interval method of baseflow
separation and Mann Kendall trend test. The results shows that on average, the
Malewa river at Gauge 2GB01
discharge (excluding abstractions) about 191.2 million cubic metres of water
annually, equivalent to a discharge of 6.06 m3/s. While discharges
had not experienced a step change, huge annual fluctuations were noted suggesting
periodicity with changes in climatic conditions. No trend was noted in annual stream data for the four
gauges assessed. However, extreme low and high flows, median flows and
baseflows for daily data showed either positive or negative trends. The
baseflow index for daily flows showed trends: 2GB01 (Z = 4.519), 2GB05 (Z = -6.861), 2GB0708 (Z = -16.326) and 2GC04 (Z = 5.593). The findings suggest that Malewa rivers
are likely experiencing effects of extreme climatic conditions and land cover
changes. Land cover degradation seems to create conditions of increased flow,
although the intensity varies from sub-catchment to another. The data also
seems to suggest that stream discharge is much dependent on baseflows. There is need to
regulate water use, improve soil cover and manage or adapt to the adverse
effects of climate change.
KEYWORDS
Streamflow, baseflow, trend, discharge.
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