Pantabangan Dam
Encyclopedia
Pantabangan Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam
on the Pampanga River
located near Pantabangan
in Nueva Ecija
province of the Philippines. The multi-purpose dam provides water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation while its reservoir affords flood control. The reservoir is considered one of the largest in Southeast Asia and also one of the cleanest in the Philippines. Construction on the dam began in 1971 and it was complete in 1977.
authorized the development of the Pampanga Basin with Republic Act No. 5499. In October of that year, detailed studies of the Pantabangan site were carried out and lasted two years. By June 11, 1971, Pantabangan was an old town of around 300 years old. President Ferdinand Marcos
and many others arrived for a ground breaking ceremony in Palayupay, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija
, to signal the beginning of the construction of Pantabangan Dam. The dam went into operation in February 1977 and was completed later in May. Approximately 1,300 people were relocated from the dam's reservoir zone.
. The spillway is a chute-type controlled by three radial gates but equipped with an overflow section as well. The design discharge of the spillway is 4200 m3/s. The dam's reservoir has a gross capacity of 2996000000 cubic metre and 2083000000 cubic metre of that volume is active (or useful) for irrigation and power. The dam sits at the head of a 853 square kilometre catchment area
and its reservoir has a surface area of 69.62 square kilometre and elevation of 230 m (755 ft) when at its maximum level. The reservoir's life is estimated at 107 years due to silt from denudation
. The dam was design to withstand an intensity 10 earthquake.
The power house is located at the base of the main dam and contains two 50 MW Francis turbine
-generators for an installed capacity of 100 MW. Each turbine receives water via a 6 m (20 ft) diameter penstock
. When the water is discharged, it is released into a 250 m (820 ft) long tailrace channel where it re-enters the river.
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...
on the Pampanga River
Pampanga River
Pampanga River is the second largest river in the island of Luzon, next to Cagayan River and the third largest river in the Philippines...
located near Pantabangan
Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija
Pantabangan is a 4th class municipality in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,520 people in 4,808 households. This is the site of the Pantabangan dam.-History:...
in Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
province of the Philippines. The multi-purpose dam provides water for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation while its reservoir affords flood control. The reservoir is considered one of the largest in Southeast Asia and also one of the cleanest in the Philippines. Construction on the dam began in 1971 and it was complete in 1977.
History
In May 1969, the Congress of the PhilippinesCongress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
authorized the development of the Pampanga Basin with Republic Act No. 5499. In October of that year, detailed studies of the Pantabangan site were carried out and lasted two years. By June 11, 1971, Pantabangan was an old town of around 300 years old. 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...
and many others arrived for a ground breaking ceremony in Palayupay, Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija
Nueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
, to signal the beginning of the construction of Pantabangan Dam. The dam went into operation in February 1977 and was completed later in May. Approximately 1,300 people were relocated from the dam's reservoir zone.
Design
The dam is a 107 m (351 ft) tall and 1615 m (5,299 ft) long embankment-type with 12000000 cu yd (9,174,658 m³) of homogeneous earth-fill and an impervious core. The crest of the dam is 12 m (39 ft) wide while the widest part of its base is 535 m (1,755 ft). The dam's crest sits at an elevation of 232 m (761 ft) and is composed of three sections: the main dam, a saddle dam, and an auxiliary dam located with the spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
. The spillway is a chute-type controlled by three radial gates but equipped with an overflow section as well. The design discharge of the spillway is 4200 m3/s. The dam's reservoir has a gross capacity of 2996000000 cubic metre and 2083000000 cubic metre of that volume is active (or useful) for irrigation and power. The dam sits at the head of a 853 square kilometre catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and its reservoir has a surface area of 69.62 square kilometre and elevation of 230 m (755 ft) when at its maximum level. The reservoir's life is estimated at 107 years due to silt from denudation
Denudation
In geology, denudation is the long-term sum of processes that cause the wearing away of the earth’s surface leading to a reduction in elevation and relief of landforms and landscapes...
. The dam was design to withstand an intensity 10 earthquake.
The power house is located at the base of the main dam and contains two 50 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators for an installed capacity of 100 MW. Each turbine receives water via a 6 m (20 ft) diameter 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....
. When the water is discharged, it is released into a 250 m (820 ft) long tailrace channel where it re-enters the river.