Dr Bradford Sherman, Dr Phillip Ford, Allison Mitchell, Gary Hancock
Recent reports from the World Commission on Dams have highlighted the relative lack of knowledge regarding the release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from reservoirs. In order to be considered eligible to receive carbon credits in the future, hydropower facilities probably will be assessed using some sort of life cycle analysis of net GHG emissions.
Unfortunately, empirical data regarding GHG emissions is available only for a few reservoirs none of which are located in temperate or semi-arid climates.
We report preliminary observations on the vertical distributions of methane and carbon dioxide in Chaffey Reservoir (Tamworth, NSW) and Dartmouth Reservoir, two temperate zone reservoirs located in southeastern Australia. In Chaffey, the diffusive methane flux from the hypolimnion to the epilimnion (where it is oxidised by bacteria) was estimated to be 220-1760 mg-CH, m’ d’. Operation of a destratification system released 43 t of CH, to the atmosphere in 3 days. The carbon dioxide flux to the atmosphere via the surface of Dartmouth was 21-168 mg-CO, m’ d’, and 530 mg-CO, m° d’ through the turbine. The impact on GHG emissions of common reservoir management techniques such as destratification and hypolimnetic oxygenation is discussed.
$15.00
ANCOLD is an incorporated voluntary association of organisations and individual professionals with an interest in dams in Australia.