In this study, the SWAT hydrological model was used to estimate the sediment yields in the principal drainage basins of the Congo River Basin. The model was run for the 2000–2012 period and calibrated using measured values obtained at the basins principal gauging station that controls 98% of the basin area. Sediment yield rates of 4.01, 5.91, 7.88 and 8.68 t km−2 yr−1 were estimated for the areas upstream of the Ubangi at Bangui, Sangha at Ouesso, Lualaba at Kisangani, and Kasai at Kuto-Moke, respectively—the first three of which supply the Cuvette Centrale. The loads contributed into the Cuvette Centrale by eight tributaries were estimated to be worth 0.04, 0.07, 0.09, 0.18, 0.94, 1.50, 1.60, and 26.98 × 106 t yr−1 from the Likouala Mossaka at Makoua, Likouala aux Herbes at Botouali, Kouyou at Linnegue, Alima at Tchikapika, Sangha at Ouesso, Ubangi at Mongoumba, Ruki at Bokuma and Congo at Mbandaka, respectively. The upper Congo supplies up to 85% of the fluxes in the Cuvette Centrale, with the Ubangi and the Ruki contributing approximately 5% each. The Cuvette Centrale acts like a big sink trapping up to 23 megatons of sediment produced upstream (75%) annually.
The study is interested in chemical quality of water of the one of the five aquifers, unconfined water AQ1, (other free groundwaters AQ2, AQ3, AQ4 and AQ5 being captive) in the area of Pointe-Noire. A series of physicochemical analysis was carried out on the samples of water of the zone. The results of these analyses were treated starting from a chemical-hydro method which uses the diagrams of Piper, Stabler, Schoeller Berkaloff, Stiff, Wilcox and the statistical methods classic. These chemicalhydro results made it possible to highlight the prevalence of sodic and potassic facies chlorinated in groundwaters of the unconfined water of the area of Pointe-Noire. In this area, the groundwaters of the unconfined water gather in three principal-hydro facies: sodic and potassic chlorinated waters are the most important (66.7%) in the studied water; calcic and magnesian bicarbonated water (16.65%) and bicarbonated sodic and potassic ones (16.65%). This study reveals that the groundwaters of the area of Pointe-Noire undergo an intrusion saltworks. As a whole, these groundwaters require in certain cases, a specific treatment before consumption.
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