Hydro-Sedimentary Dynamics of the Grand-Popo Lagoon Located Upstream of the Mobile Embouchure “Bouche du Roy” in South-Western Benin

摘要

The problems of flooding, bank erosion and even the breaching of the barrier beach by the Grand-Popo lagoon are a concern in the south-western Beninese river-lagoon complex. The present study aims to improve the knowledge of the factors controlling the hydro-sedimentary functioning of this lagoon of Grand-Popo. It was based on bathymetric and sedimentological studies and the analysis of physical-chemical parameters of the water and allowed to know the morphology of the lagoon bottom and the distribution of sedimentary facies according to the intensity of the water current. The salinity of the lagoon waters shows a west-east gradient passing thus from 0‰ to 0.78‰ in the main direction of flow. Over the whole lagoon system, the average liquid flows vary from -38.499 to 159.13 m3/s. The bathymetry indicates depths varying from 0.4 to 6.5 m, revealing type V and type U lagoon bottoms which reflect acute bottom concavities marked by hollowing under the effect of strong currents or by sandy terraces resulting from the continuous input of sediments carried by the Mono River. These sediments are heterogeneously distributed in the lagoon bottom and vary from free sand to mud. Given the complexity of the factors that control the hydro-sedimentary functioning of the Grand-Popo lagoon, it is recommended that periodic hydrological and bathymetric monitoring be carried out to locate exceptional variations in water levels to prevent not only the risks of overflowing lagoon waters and the flooding that follows but also spectacular erosion of the lagoon banks.