Evaluating greenhouse gas emissions from hydropower complexes on large rivers in Eastern Washington
Posted /Ecological HarmMarch 2013
By EV Arntzen • S Niehus • BL Miller • M Richmond • AC O’Toole
Inland water bodies, such as freshwater lakes, are known to be net emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). In recent years, significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from tropical, boreal, and mid-latitude reservoirs have also been reported. At a time when hydropower is increasing worldwide, better understanding of seasonal and regional variation in GHG emissions is needed in order to develop a predictive understanding of such fluxes within man-made impoundments.