Magat Dam water level remains at critical point

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Despite intermittent rainfall, the water level of the Magat Dam in Ramon, Isabela remains at a critical point, with the dam’s irrigation and power generation facilities still temporarily shut down.

On Saturday, Magat’s water elevation was at 153 meters, way below the normal level of 183 meters or the minimum operational level of 160 meters for the dam to continue generating power for the Luzon grid, said Saturnino Tenedor of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

Before the Holy Week, the NIA had to stop irrigating thousands of farmlands in Isabela after the dam’s water level dropped below 150 meters.

Tenedor said irrigation remains suspended even if the dam’s water level slightly improved from 149.8 meters late last month to 153 meters on Saturday.

The dam’s lowest water level was 149 meters recorded in July 1991.

Tenedor, however, said the suspension of irrigation may no longer affect much of the farmlands covered by the dam as the remaining crops are already harvestable and no longer need much water.

“We are already in the process of saving water in time for the next (planting or cropping) season when continued irrigation is most needed,” he said.

The more than three-decade-old Magat Dam has been the major source of irrigation of some 80,000 hectares of farmlands in Isabela and parts of Cagayan and Quirino. It is also generating a maximum of 360 megawatts for the Luzon power grid.