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Highway Development-Related Gully Erosion: The Case of the Okigwe-Isuikwuato Highway, Southeastern Nigeria

2021; Springer Nature; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-981-16-5543-2_38

2366-2557

Site Onyejekwe, C. Jeremiah, Elamin H. Ismail,

Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes

Constructed in 1978 on a largely rugged terrain on the scarp slope of the 250 km North–South trending Arochukwu-Ohafia-Awgu-Udi-Nsukka cuesta, one of the two major cuestas in southeastern Nigeria (the other being the 75 km Northwest–Southeast trending Awgu-Awka uplands), a number of gullies have developed on the Okigwe-Isuikwuato Highway. These gullies have primarily developed at points where inappropriately sized culvert structures have obstructed the natural drainage path. The combination of the undersized culvert, pressure flow through culvert, topography, and vulnerable geologic formation has led to the development of massive gullies in some locations. This paper investigated the anthropogenic, hydraulic, and hydrological factors that led to the development of these gullies. It also proffered suggestions for the mitigation of the effect of these gullies.