Magat Dam
Encyclopedia
Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam
on the island of Luzon
in the Philippines
. The dam is located on Magat River
, a major tributary of Cagayan River
. Construction of the dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982. Magat Dam is one of the largest dams in the Philippines and has two primary purposes: as a source of irrigation water and as a provider of hydroelectric power.
Implementation of this multipurpose project was based on the preliminary study conducted in 1973 by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with the assistance of the United States Bureau of Reclamation
(USBR) and the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID).
Subsequent detailed and extensive dam site investigation and engineering studies further confirmed the feasibility of what is now known as NIA's most daring infrastructure project and one of Asia's biggest dams today.
It was Southeast Asia
's first large multipurpose dam. The dam is part of the Magat River Multipurpose Project (MRMP) which was financed by the World Bank
and whose purpose is to improve on the existing Magat River Irrigation System (MARIS) and to triple the production of rice in the Cagayan River
basin.
The project was jointly financed by the Philippine Government and the World Bank
which extended a $150M U.S Dollars loan to finance the foreign exchange requirement. In addition, a $9M U.S. dollars loan from Bahrain
was obtained for the purchase of other equipment for the diversion tunnels, soils laboratory and model testing. The total project cost is $3.4B pesos(yr. 1975).
at the boundary between the municipalities of Alfonso Lista
in the province of Ifugao
and Ramon
in Isabela both on the island of Luzon
, approximately 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) north of Metro Manila
. The Magat River is the largest tributary of the Cagayan River
, the longest river in the country.
, which is the largest tributary of the Cagayan River
on the island of Luzon
. Cagayan is the longest river in the Philippines. The Magat River has an estimated yearly water discharge of 9,808 million cubic meters and has an approximate crest length of 4160 metres (13,648.3 ft) with its headwaters in the province of Nueva Vizcaya
and its confluence with the Cagayan River in the province of Isabela
The portion of the Magat River on which Magat Dam is located forms part of the boundary between the provinces of Ifugao
and Isabela and this is the reason for the dispute between the local governments of the two provinces over the jurisdiction of Magat Dam. (See the History section of this article for details.)
Crest Length: 4160 metres (13,648.3 ft)
Volume of Rocks & Earth Materials: 18 million cubic meters
Concrete = 1.00 million cubic meters
Width = 164 metres (538.1 ft)
Discharge Cap.= 30,600 cubic meters
Radial Gates = 7 sets
Orifice Gates = 2 sets
Diameters: 2 metres (6.6 ft)
Ave.Length: 630 metres (2,066.9 ft)
Area at FSL : 45 square kilometre
Area at min. Supply Level : 15 square kilometre
Elevation at FSL : El. 193 metres (633.2 ft)
Maximum Flood Level : El. 197.6 metres (648.3 ft)
Live Storage : 810 million cubic meters
Additional Capacity: 180 MegaWatts
Total : 540 MegaWatts
and as a source of irrigation water for about 85000 hectares (210,039.4 acre) of agricultural lands.
The hydroelectric power plant is a four-unit powerhouse with a rated capacity of 360 megawatts.
The hydroelectric plant is a peaking power plant
, which means that it only operates when there is a high demand for electricity in the Luzon power grid, to which the plant is connected.
The water stored in the reservoir is enough to supply about two months of normal energy requirements.
(NAPOCOR). Under the Electric Power Industry Reforms Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9136), the Magat Dam hydroelectric plant underwent a privatization
process. As a result, the plant's ownership and operation was turned over to SN Aboitiz Power Inc. (SNAP), a joint venture of a local company, Aboitiz Equity Venture (AEV), and the Norwegian SN Power Invest (SN Power) in April 2007. SNAP won the privatization bidding in 2006.
After the privatization of the hydroelectric plant, the provinces of Ifugao and Isabela had a dispute over the tax resulting from the transfer of the plant to SNAP. An agreement was made to divide the tax evenly, about 57 million pesos each, though some further disputes remain over the jurisdiction of various elements of the dam.
The dam was constructed to last for 50 years but increased siltation
and sedimentation
in the reservoir, slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging ang fish-caging resulted to the deterioration of the dam's watershed. The massive 1990 Luzon earthquake
also contributed to the increased siltation in the Magat River system. Because of this, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
instructed various government agencies to create a rehabilitation plan to improve the lifespan of the dam system.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The dam is located on Magat River
Magat River
Magat River is a river in the Philippine island of Luzon. It is the largest tributary of Cagayan River, the longest and largest river system in the country, with an estimated drainage area of 5, 110 km², roughly twenty percent of the total drainage area of the river.-Magat River Integrated...
, a major tributary of Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...
. Construction of the dam started in 1975 and completed in 1982. Magat Dam is one of the largest dams in the Philippines and has two primary purposes: as a source of irrigation water and as a provider of hydroelectric power.
History
The construction and appurtenant structures was authorized by P.D. 693 signed on May 7, 1975 by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The Magat Dam was constructed in 1978 and inaugurated by the Late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos on October 27, 1982 and started operations in 1983.Implementation of this multipurpose project was based on the preliminary study conducted in 1973 by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) with the assistance of the United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
(USBR) and the United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID).
Subsequent detailed and extensive dam site investigation and engineering studies further confirmed the feasibility of what is now known as NIA's most daring infrastructure project and one of Asia's biggest dams today.
It was Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
's first large multipurpose dam. The dam is part of the Magat River Multipurpose Project (MRMP) which was financed by the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and whose purpose is to improve on the existing Magat River Irrigation System (MARIS) and to triple the production of rice in the Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...
basin.
The project was jointly financed by the Philippine Government and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
which extended a $150M U.S Dollars loan to finance the foreign exchange requirement. In addition, a $9M U.S. dollars loan from Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
was obtained for the purchase of other equipment for the diversion tunnels, soils laboratory and model testing. The total project cost is $3.4B pesos(yr. 1975).
Geography
The Magat Dam is located on the Magat RiverMagat River
Magat River is a river in the Philippine island of Luzon. It is the largest tributary of Cagayan River, the longest and largest river system in the country, with an estimated drainage area of 5, 110 km², roughly twenty percent of the total drainage area of the river.-Magat River Integrated...
at the boundary between the municipalities of Alfonso Lista
Alfonso Lista, Ifugao
Alfonso Lista is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Ifugao, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,323 people in 4,275 households....
in the province of Ifugao
Ifugao
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests...
and Ramon
Ramon, Isabela
Ramon is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 45,258 people in 8,376 households.Majority of its inhabitants derive their income from agriculture...
in Isabela both on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, approximately 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) north of Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. The Magat River is the largest tributary of the Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...
, the longest river in the country.
Magat River
The Magat Dam is located on the Magat RiverMagat River
Magat River is a river in the Philippine island of Luzon. It is the largest tributary of Cagayan River, the longest and largest river system in the country, with an estimated drainage area of 5, 110 km², roughly twenty percent of the total drainage area of the river.-Magat River Integrated...
, which is the largest tributary of the Cagayan River
Cagayan River
The Cagayan River is the longest and largest river in the Philippine Archipelago. It is located in the Cagayan Valley region in northeastern part of Luzon island and traverses the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan.-Topography:...
on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Cagayan is the longest river in the Philippines. The Magat River has an estimated yearly water discharge of 9,808 million cubic meters and has an approximate crest length of 4160 metres (13,648.3 ft) with its headwaters in the province of Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya
Nueva Vizcaya is a province of the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Bayombong. It is bordered by, clockwise from the north, Ifugao, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, and Benguet.-History, people and culture:The name was derived from the...
and its confluence with the Cagayan River in the province of Isabela
The portion of the Magat River on which Magat Dam is located forms part of the boundary between the provinces of Ifugao
Ifugao
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests...
and Isabela and this is the reason for the dispute between the local governments of the two provinces over the jurisdiction of Magat Dam. (See the History section of this article for details.)
Features
Magat High Dam
Height: 114 metres (374 ft)Crest Length: 4160 metres (13,648.3 ft)
Volume of Rocks & Earth Materials: 18 million cubic meters
Concrete = 1.00 million cubic meters
Spillway
Length = 500 metres (1,640.4 ft)Width = 164 metres (538.1 ft)
Discharge Cap.= 30,600 cubic meters
Radial Gates = 7 sets
Orifice Gates = 2 sets
Diversion Tunnels
Number: 2Diameters: 2 metres (6.6 ft)
Ave.Length: 630 metres (2,066.9 ft)
Reservoir
Storage Cap.at Full Supply Level(FSL): 1.08 billion cubic metersArea at FSL : 45 square kilometre
Area at min. Supply Level : 15 square kilometre
Elevation at FSL : El. 193 metres (633.2 ft)
Maximum Flood Level : El. 197.6 metres (648.3 ft)
Live Storage : 810 million cubic meters
Power House
Installed Capacity : 360 MegaWattsAdditional Capacity: 180 MegaWatts
Total : 540 MegaWatts
Access
It is connected by an all weather road to San Mateo-Santiago Road at Oscariz, Ramon, Isabela some 350 kilometres (217.5 mi) north of Metro Manila.Structure and facilities
The Magat Dam is a multi-purpose dam which serves as a source of hydroelectric powerHydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
and as a source of irrigation water for about 85000 hectares (210,039.4 acre) of agricultural lands.
The hydroelectric power plant is a four-unit powerhouse with a rated capacity of 360 megawatts.
The hydroelectric plant is a peaking power plant
Peaking power plant
Peaking power plants, also known as peaker plants, and occasionally just "peakers," are power plants that generally run only when there is a high demand, known as peak demand, for electricity.-Peak hours:...
, which means that it only operates when there is a high demand for electricity in the Luzon power grid, to which the plant is connected.
The water stored in the reservoir is enough to supply about two months of normal energy requirements.
Present Status
The irrigation facilities, including the reservoir, the intake gates to the hydroelectric plant, and the dam itself, is owned and managed by the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) while the hydroelectric plant itself was owned by the National Power CorporationNational Power Corporation
The National Power Corporation , also known as the NPC or Napocor, is a state-owned company that serves as the largest provider and generator of electricity in the Philippines...
(NAPOCOR). Under the Electric Power Industry Reforms Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9136), the Magat Dam hydroelectric plant underwent a privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
process. As a result, the plant's ownership and operation was turned over to SN Aboitiz Power Inc. (SNAP), a joint venture of a local company, Aboitiz Equity Venture (AEV), and the Norwegian SN Power Invest (SN Power) in April 2007. SNAP won the privatization bidding in 2006.
After the privatization of the hydroelectric plant, the provinces of Ifugao and Isabela had a dispute over the tax resulting from the transfer of the plant to SNAP. An agreement was made to divide the tax evenly, about 57 million pesos each, though some further disputes remain over the jurisdiction of various elements of the dam.
The dam was constructed to last for 50 years but increased siltation
Siltation
Siltation is the pollution of water by fine particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable...
and sedimentation
Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration...
in the reservoir, slash-and-burn farming, illegal logging ang fish-caging resulted to the deterioration of the dam's watershed. The massive 1990 Luzon earthquake
1990 Luzon earthquake
The Luzon earthquake occurred on Monday, July 16, 1990, at 4:26 PM local time in the Philippines. The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 Ms...
also contributed to the increased siltation in the Magat River system. Because of this, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
instructed various government agencies to create a rehabilitation plan to improve the lifespan of the dam system.