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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Limnology
  • Climate Science

Background:

  • Reservoir management practices, particularly water-level fluctuations, can influence greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Methane (CH4) fluxes from reservoirs are a significant component of the global methane budget, but the impact of water-level changes on these emissions is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between water-level drawdowns and methane (CH4) emissions in reservoirs.
  • To determine how factors like trophic status and morphometry affect CH4 flux dynamics during drawdowns.

Main Methods:

  • Field measurements of CH4 fluxes were conducted in six Pacific Northwest U.S. reservoirs.
  • Data on reservoir trophic status (epilimnetic chlorophyll a), morphometry, and management regimes were collected.
  • Statistical analyses were used to correlate water-level changes with CH4 emission rates.

Main Results:

  • Water-level drawdowns were found to significantly increase per-area reservoir CH4 fluxes, sometimes accounting for over 90% of the annual flux in a short period.
  • Higher epilimnetic chlorophyll a concentrations were associated with larger increases in CH4 emissions during drawdowns (R2 = 0.84, p < 0.01), indicating eutrophication exacerbates this effect.
  • Even small drawdowns (≥0.5 m) can trigger methane ebullition events.

Conclusions:

  • Water-level drawdowns are a critical, yet often overlooked, factor controlling reservoir methane emissions.
  • Eutrophication amplifies the impact of drawdowns on CH4 fluxes, suggesting that nutrient management in reservoirs is also crucial for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Current sampling strategies may underestimate total reservoir CH4 fluxes if drawdown periods are not adequately considered.