Magat Dam nears spilling level due to continuous rains

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Amid continuous heavy rains, the Magat Dam at the Isabela-Ifugao boundary is again in critical level, prompting authorities to continue releasing water from its reservoir to avoid reaching the spilling level, which could endanger the dam’s structure.

As of 1:30 p.m. yesterday, engineer Saturnino Tenedor of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said the dam’s water elevation was already at 192.99 meters, or just less than a meter from the spilling level of 193 meters.

The state-run NIA is in charge of the dam’s irrigation facility, while its power component is now owned and operated by the Filipino-Norwegian consortium SN Aboitiz Power.

The dam has been releasing water since early this week amid continuous rains brought by the low pressure area in this part of the country.

The dam’s continuous release of water and the swelling of major rivers were blamed for the flooding of some low-lying areas in Isabela, including some villages in Cauayan City and in the towns of Santo Tomas and Cabagan, since Monday.

Dam officials, however, denied this, saying they were releasing excess water at a controlled and gradual basis to avoid flooding.

The three-decade-old dam, besides generating 350 megawatts of power for the Luzon grid, has been the source of irrigation for at least 70,000 hectares of farmlands in Isabela and parts of Quirino and Cagayan.