Page - 559 - in Book of Full Papers - Symposium Hydro Engineering

Dealing with greenhouse gas emissions is another current environmental challenge. Reservoirs may emit substantial amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, when vegetation and algae decay with changing water levels. Solutions may include controlling erosion in upstream watersheds and managing water elevation more carefully, especially during warm seasons [12]. Reservoirs also trap pollutants left behind by past industrial practices, which flow downstream and concentrate behind dams. These chemicals can accumulate in fish, making them dangerous for people and wildlife, and also, pose a health hazard in drinking water. Removing pollutants trapped in a reservoir presents a huge logistical challenge. 3. METHODOLOGY DEVELOPMENT This research strives to present an innovative approach called “Green Dam Reservoir” or GDR that helps minimize environmental effects and maximize dam and reservoir green operation in both construction and operation phases. In order to achieve this goal, a framework shown in Figure 1 is proposed. The common polluting sources in a dam reservoir in various aspects are determined using the dam clinic, a concept developed in [13]. Dam clinic, inspired by human clinic, is an innovative approach for dealing with challenges of O&M issues in dams and hydropower plants that are delivered for operation but suffer from some illnesses such as cracks, leakage, low quality, and so on. Although they can generate revenue, these products create great safety concerns and therefore, need to be treated comprehensively. The proposed conceptual model is shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3. More information about the dam clinic can be found in [13] Once the polluting sources are identified, they will be categorized and each group analyzed. In the implementation phase of the GDR, a specific remediation action is proposed for each group of polluting source (e.g. chemical source, wastewater source, external source). Combination of remediation actions will result in an integrated remediation approach in which upon approval of the dam owner, can be applied in the construction as well as the operation phases of dam projects. 559