Impact of Water Hyacinth Infestation on Water Quality Parameters in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

This study examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of water hyacinth and its impact on Lake Tana's water quality using Sentinel-2 and MODIS Terra satellite imagery. A Random Forest algorithm was used to map water hyacinth distribution. High water hyacinth population was observed in the northeast sector of the lake. From 2015 to 2023, water hyacinth area coverage increased by 1.67 km
²
annually. Areal mean water hyacinth biomass also increased (2016-2022). The areal mean surface temperature decreased significantly in all seasons except winter from 2001 to 2022 (P<0.05). Similarly, areal mean turbidity index declined substantially in all seasons except spring. Areal mean chlorophyll-a index declined in spring and summer while showing an insignificant upward trend in winter and autumn from (2016-2022). Water hyacinth biomass index and lake surface temperature had a weak positive correlation, while turbidity and chlorophyll-a indices showed moderate negative correlations with water hyacinth biomass from 2016 to 2022.