LOOK: Magat Dam water level nears critical mark

MANILA, Philippines — The water level at Magat Dam, one of Northern Luzon’s largest reservoirs, has continued to decline and is now close to its critical elevation of 160 meters.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, the dam’s water level stood at 160.69 meters, or 0.69 meters above its critical level, based on data from the National Irrigation Administration-Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-MARIIS).

The reservoir has progressively declined from 167.32 meters at 5 p.m. on June 25, losing more than 6.6 meters in less than two weeks as prolonged dry conditions persist in Isabela.

READ: Dam Watch: Water levels dip in key dams as El Niño threat looms

Over the past two weeks, the dam’s water level dropped from 166.64 meters on June 26 to 166.37 meters on June 27, 165.93 meters on June 28, 165.44 meters on June 29 and 164.56 meters on June 30.

On July 1, the reservoir’s water level declined to 163.89 meters and continued to drop to 163.60 meters on July 2, 163.18 meters on July 3, 162.85 meters on July 4, 162.29 meters on July 5, 161.78 meters on July 6 and 161.19 meters on July 7.

The dam generates up to 380 megawatts of power and irrigates some 90,000 hectares of rice land in Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.

READ: Cloud seeding set over Magat watershed as dam level drops

As stated in a previous report, the NIA said water recession at the reservoir has averaged 80 centimeters a day because of the lack of heavy rains at the watershed in the past weeks.

It said that without significant rainfall, a “critically low level” would be imminent by mid-July unless irrigation supply is reduced further or rationed among thousands of farm workers who depend on the dam for land preparation and palay production.

READ: Aid sought for 1,400 fisherfolk after Magat Dam fish kill

The dwindling water level has already contributed to a massive fish kill that affected more than 1,400 fishermen and fish cage operators who, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya said, should receive immediate assistance from the government.

Earlier, the Department of Agriculture announced cloud-seeding activities over the watershed to help replenish the reservoir, which was started in 1975 and completed in 1982. It spans the border of Ramon, Isabela, and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. /dm