Caliraya Dam
Encyclopedia
Caliraya Dam is an embankment dam
located in the town of Lumban
province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range
of the Philippines
. The reservoir
created by the dam, Lake Caliraya
, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular recreational area for numerous water sports and fishing. The dam construction was started in 1939 and a small hydro
electric plant was operated in 1942.
Lake Caliraya was later connected with another man-made lake, Lumot Lake
, to provide more water through a 2.3 km (1.4 mi) underground penstock
. Later still the dam and lake were used as the upper reservoir for the Kalayaan Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric plant located west of Lake Caliraya, with Laguna de Bay
as the lower reservoir.
investigated possible sources for hydroelectric development in the country. Initial surveying were done in Botocan Falls, Caliraya River, Angat River and Agno River. Mr. A. H. Perkins, assistant engineer began investigations of the Caliraya project on November 11, 1903, and his report was submitted to the Philippine Commission on March 23, 1904. Further studies were needed for more accurate and extended data on minimum discharge, rainfall, and area of watershed. Mr. H. F. Labelle, an assistant engineer, performed the observations from April 22, 1904 to September 1, 1904. Extensive gaugings of the stream were made to determine the low-water flow, the watershed area was surveyed, and a rain gauge was established in Barangay
San Antonio, Kalayaan a town located within the watershed. A river gauge was also established.
The constructive features of the initial study were as follows: By the construction of a dam on the river, the water would be diverted into a canal 2.33 miles (3.7 km) long to the brow of the bluff, where it would fall through penstock
s 800 feet (243.8 m) to the powerhouse near the Lumbang River. The power would then be transmitted to Manila, a distance of 61 miles (98.2 km). To meet the dry-season flow and conserve the flood waters, storage reservoirs would be established on the river at suitable points. This development could be carried out at comparatively small cost and would not require exceptional engineering features. The capacity of the plant could also be increased by diverting the Lumot River to the Caliraya. However, the feasibility of the development was still in question because of storage problems. The theoretical horsepower available at the first proposed power house, with a moderate storage, was estimated at only about 6,000, which could be increased for about one-half of the year during the rainy season.
Hugh John Casey
was sent to the country by US Army Corps of Engineers
upon request by the Philippine Commonwealth to provide assistance in hydroelectric power and flood control for the recently created National Power Corporation
(NAPOCOR). The dam construction was started in 1939 from the designs planned by Hugh John Casey, upon approval by the Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
. An embankment dam
over 100 feet (30.5 m) high, was constructed across the Caliraya River at its outlet from a large flat plateau
area providing a large water reservoir for generating hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon
from the Caliraya hydroelectric plant. A diversion canal was constructed several miles west of the lake to the head of a steep slope about 950 feet (289.6 m) above Laguna de Bay
. Large penstock
s were constructed diverting water down to the powerhouse below, with a tailrace to the bay. The high head permitted the use of high-speed turbines and generators at relatively low unit costs. Initial estimate for the project was $5 million, or 10 million pesos, and an output of 40,000 horsepower
(30 megawatts).
During World War II
, the dam was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent its use by invading Japanese who rebuilt it, but later sabotaged it themselves as their own defeat approached.
On June 1, 1948, Republic Act No. 216 was passed approving expenditures for the construction of several hydroelectric dams in the Philippines; the act included the diversion of the Lumot River via Lumot Dam
to Caliraya Lake for more available water and to raise the height of Caliraya Dam. The dam was rebuilt, raised and inaugurated in 1953 by the (NAPOCOR).
In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos
of the Philippines bestowed upon Casey the honorary title of “the father of water power development in the Philippines, for his pioneering endeavors in the country.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
located in the town of Lumban
Lumban, Laguna
Lumban is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 28,443 people in 5,456 households. Lumban has an area of 96.08 square kilometers, the fourth largest in Laguna...
province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range
Sierra Madre (Philippines)
The Sierra Madre is a mountain range in The Philippines. It is located along the north-eastern coast of Luzon Island, running north/south. Quezon National Forest Park is situated in the range.-Geography:...
of 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 reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
created by the dam, Lake Caliraya
Lake Caliraya
Lake Caliraya is a man-made lake situated in the municipalities of Lumban, Cavinti, and Kalayaan in Laguna province, Philippines.-Creation of the dam:...
, initially supplied one of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the Philippines, and later became a popular recreational area for numerous water sports and fishing. The dam construction was started in 1939 and a small hydro
Small hydro
Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a small community or industrial plant. The definition of a small hydro project varies but a generating capacity of up to 10 megawatts is generally accepted as the upper limit of what can be termed small hydro. This may be...
electric plant was operated in 1942.
Lake Caliraya was later connected with another man-made lake, Lumot Lake
Lumot Lake
Lumot Lake, also known as Sierra Lake, is a man-made water reservoir located in the towns of Cavinti and Lumban, province of Laguna, in the Sierra Madre Mountains of the Philippines...
, to provide more water through a 2.3 km (1.4 mi) underground penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
. Later still the dam and lake were used as the upper reservoir for the Kalayaan Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric plant located west of Lake Caliraya, with Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
as the lower reservoir.
Initial studies
In the early years of American occupation, the Bureau of Engineering of the Philippine CommissionPhilippine Commission
The Philippine Commission was a body appointed by the President of the United States to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines. It was first appointed by President William McKinley in 1901. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral Philippine...
investigated possible sources for hydroelectric development in the country. Initial surveying were done in Botocan Falls, Caliraya River, Angat River and Agno River. Mr. A. H. Perkins, assistant engineer began investigations of the Caliraya project on November 11, 1903, and his report was submitted to the Philippine Commission on March 23, 1904. Further studies were needed for more accurate and extended data on minimum discharge, rainfall, and area of watershed. Mr. H. F. Labelle, an assistant engineer, performed the observations from April 22, 1904 to September 1, 1904. Extensive gaugings of the stream were made to determine the low-water flow, the watershed area was surveyed, and a rain gauge was established in Barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
San Antonio, Kalayaan a town located within the watershed. A river gauge was also established.
The constructive features of the initial study were as follows: By the construction of a dam on the river, the water would be diverted into a canal 2.33 miles (3.7 km) long to the brow of the bluff, where it would fall through penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s 800 feet (243.8 m) to the powerhouse near the Lumbang River. The power would then be transmitted to Manila, a distance of 61 miles (98.2 km). To meet the dry-season flow and conserve the flood waters, storage reservoirs would be established on the river at suitable points. This development could be carried out at comparatively small cost and would not require exceptional engineering features. The capacity of the plant could also be increased by diverting the Lumot River to the Caliraya. However, the feasibility of the development was still in question because of storage problems. The theoretical horsepower available at the first proposed power house, with a moderate storage, was estimated at only about 6,000, which could be increased for about one-half of the year during the rainy season.
Construction
In 1937, Major GeneralMajor General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Hugh John Casey
Hugh John Casey
Hugh John Casey was a Major General in the United States Army. A 1918 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Casey served in Germany during the Occupation of the Rhineland...
was sent to the country by US Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
upon request by the Philippine Commonwealth to provide assistance in hydroelectric power and flood control for the recently created National Power Corporation
National 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). The dam construction was started in 1939 from the designs planned by Hugh John Casey, upon approval by the Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel Luis Quezón y Molina served as president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1944. He was the first Filipino to head a government of the Philippines...
. An embankment dam
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
over 100 feet (30.5 m) high, was constructed across the Caliraya River at its outlet from a large flat plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
area providing a large water reservoir for generating hydroelectric power for Southern 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...
from the Caliraya hydroelectric plant. A diversion canal was constructed several miles west of the lake to the head of a steep slope about 950 feet (289.6 m) above Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
. Large penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s were constructed diverting water down to the powerhouse below, with a tailrace to the bay. The high head permitted the use of high-speed turbines and generators at relatively low unit costs. Initial estimate for the project was $5 million, or 10 million pesos, and an output of 40,000 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
(30 megawatts).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the dam was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent its use by invading Japanese who rebuilt it, but later sabotaged it themselves as their own defeat approached.
On June 1, 1948, Republic Act No. 216 was passed approving expenditures for the construction of several hydroelectric dams in the Philippines; the act included the diversion of the Lumot River via Lumot Dam
Lumot Dam
Lumot Dam is an embankment dam located between the towns of Cavinti and Lumban, in the province of Laguna, Philippines. The dam was constructed across Lumot River creating a reservoir now known as Lumot Lake or Sierra Lake...
to Caliraya Lake for more available water and to raise the height of Caliraya Dam. The dam was rebuilt, raised and inaugurated in 1953 by the (NAPOCOR).
In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
of the Philippines bestowed upon Casey the honorary title of “the father of water power development in the Philippines, for his pioneering endeavors in the country.