February 29 ------ The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned on Tuesday, Feb. 27, that the El Niño’s impact may result in further declines in water levels at major dams in Luzon in the coming month.
Eight major dams in Luzon have consistently seen their water levels decline, with all being below their normal high levels because of a lack of rainfall in recent weeks, based on PAGASA’s report at the National El Niño Forum and the 169th Climate Outlook Forum on Tuesday. The dams being monitored are Angat Dam (Bulacan), Ipo Dam (Bulacan), La Mesa Dam (Quezon City), Ambuklao Dam (Benguet), Binga Dam (Benguet), San Roque Dam (Pangasinan), Pantabangan Dam (Nueva Ecija), and Magat Dam (Isabela).
Angat Dam’s reservoir water level is (RWL) currently 206.35 meters, 5.65 meters below the dam’s normal high water level (NHWL) of 212 meters. Angat Dam is the major source of water for Metro Manila. Other dam’s current water levels are as follows: Ipo Dam with RWL of 99.61 meters, 1.39 meters below its NHWL of 101 meters; La Mesa Dam with RWL of 76.63 meters, 3.52 meters below its NHWL of 80.15 meters; Ambuklao Dam with RWL of 749.57 meters, 2.43 meters below its NHWL of 752 meters; Binga Dam with RWL of 569.54 meters, 5.46 meters below its NHWL of 575 meters; San Roque Dam with RWL of 242.67 meters, 37.33 meters below its NHWL of 280 meters; Pantabangan with RWL of 186.41 meters, 34.59 meters below its NHWL; and Magat Dam with RWL of 174.83 meters, 18.17 meters below its NHWL of 193 meters.
PAGASA-Hydrometeorology Division weather facilities specialist Edgar Dela Cruz explained that the water level at Angat Dam could drop to 193.32 meters by March 31, based on a forecast rainfall of 29.7 millimeters and a dam allocation of 84 cubic meters per second. This means that even if Angat Dam’s level is already below its 212-meter NHWL, he said it will remain above its 190.40-meter rule curve elevation by the end of March.
PAGASA defines rule curve elevation as the minimum reservoir elevation that dam operators must maintain to ensure water availability for irrigation, power generation, and domestic use. Meanwhile, Dela Cruz said the water levels at San Roque Dam and Pantabangan Dam may fall below their rule curve elevations of 243.95 meters and 206.44 meters, respectively, as the reservoirs may reach 228.24 meters and 178.38 meters by the end of March. For Magat Dam, he noted that although the water level may rise to 177 meters, it will still be lower than the dam’s 180-meter rule curve elevation. However, given these trends, Dela Cruz pointed out that “all the major dams are still within their operating level.”
PAGASA’s historical data from 2006 to 2023 indicates that the recovery period of major dams in Luzon occurs in July and August, coinciding with the arrival of tropical cyclones.
Source: mb.com.ph
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