| Wawa Dam | |
|---|---|
 Wawa Dam | |
.svg)  Location in Luzon .svg) Location in the Philippines | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Location | Montalban Gorge, Rodriguez, Rizal |
| Coordinates | 14°43′40″N 121°11′30″E / 14.72778°N 121.19167°E |
| Purpose | Water supply (original) Recreation (current) |
| Construction began | 1904 |
| Opening date | 1909 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Arch-gravity dam |
| Impounds | Marikina River |
| Length | 280 feet (85 m) |
| Spillways | One |
| Spillway type | Ogee crest |
| Reservoir | |
| Maximum water depth | 13 m |
| Normal elevation | 57 masl |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System |
| Decommission date | 1968 |
Wawa Dam, also known as Montalban Dam,[1] is a gravity dam constructed over the Marikina River in the municipality of Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines.[2] The slightly arched dam is situated in the 360-metre (1,180 ft) high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge,[3] a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains, east of Manila.
Construction of the dam began in 1904, and it became operational in 1909, during the American colonial era, to provide the water needs for Manila.[4][5][6]
During World War II, Wawa Dam became the focal point of the battle between the US Army's XI Corps and the Imperial Japanese Army's Shimbu Group. The engagement, also known as the Battle of Wawa Dam saw the opposing sides in a seesaw battle along the Montalban-Antipolo hills from March to May 1945.
Wawa Dam used to be the only source of water for Manila until Angat Dam was built and Wawa was abandoned in 1968.[7] Due to insufficiency of water supply for Metro Manila, there was a strong clamor to reuse the dam.[8] The dam and surrounding area is currently protected as part of the Pamitinan Protected Landscape.
In July 2024, the impounding process of the PhP26.5 billion Upper Wawa Dam project, in San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal is undertaken by the Prime Infra and WawaJVCo contructors. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is tasked to protect the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape. As part of the Wawa Pumped Storage Water Project, it creates a 400-hectare artificial lake for adequate water supply with a 600-megawatt.[9]
- ^ Philippine Commission (1912). "Annual Reports of the U.S. War Department 1912, Vol. IV". Government Printing Office, Washington.
- ^ "Final List of Watersheds Supporting 140 River Irrigation Systems of the NIA" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, pg. 5. Green Army Network. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
- ^ "Wawa Gorge". Google Maps. Retrieved on August 15, 2012.
- ^ Layug, Benjamin (September 13, 2018). "Legend, history and adventure converge in Wawa | Benjamin Layug". BusinessMirror. Business Mirror. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ Philippine Commission (1908) "Report of the Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War 1908, Part 1". Government Printing Office, Washington.
- ^ http://www2.philstar.com/business/558574/mwss-eyes-wawa-dam-for-additional-water-supply [dead link]
- ^ "Wawa Dam or Laiban Dam?". January 25, 2010.
- ^ Cruz, Neal (June 10, 2010). "Probe water agencies on Wawa". Inquirer.net. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
- ^ Celona, Jonathan (July 10, 2024). "Marcos Leads Impounding Ceremony for Upper Wawa Dam". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved July 11, 2024.