By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Cloud-seeding operations carried out over the past several days have helped restore the water level of Magat Dam in Isabela, above its critical threshold, providing much-needed relief to thousands of farmers dependent on one of Northern Luzon’s largest irrigation systems.
Data from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) Magat River Integrated Irrigation System showed the reservoir climbed to 162.90 meters above sea level (masl) as of 5 a.m. Sunday, following sustained rainfall generated by cloud-seeding missions. The dam also recorded an inflow of 163.19 cubic meters per second, marking a significant recovery from the critical 160-masl level reached in recent days.
The improvement comes after government agencies launched coordinated cloud-seeding operations on July 27 to address the prolonged lack of rainfall that had rapidly depleted the reservoir.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), working with the Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Group 2, the NIA, local government units, and disaster management agencies, has been deploying a Piper Cub aircraft to disperse cloud-seeding salt over suitable cloud formations at an altitude of approximately 4,500 feet.
Authorities said the weather-modification effort aims to increase rainfall across the Magat watershed, boosting inflows into the reservoir and securing irrigation water for about 90,000 hectares of farmland serving nearly 118,000 farmers in Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and parts of Ifugao.
The government has allotted P2.76 million for the cloud-seeding program, which has logged about 30 flight hours. Initial operations produced an estimated 6.07 millimeters of rainfall within 24 hours, according to the DA.
Regional Technical Director Roberto Busania of DA-Cagayan Valley said the cloud-seeding missions are expected to continue through September, provided weather conditions remain favorable.
“The availability of seedable clouds is necessary for cloud seeding to effectively induce rainfall,” Busania said, adding that additional funding may be released should extended operations become necessary.
Cloud seeding uses hygroscopic materials such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride to encourage water droplets in warm clouds to merge and fall as rain.
The recovery of Magat Dam’s water level comes after irrigation authorities warned that the reservoir had been losing an average of 80 centimeters of water daily, forcing irrigation rationing in some service areas and delaying land preparation and planting activities.
The improved reservoir level is expected to strengthen irrigation deliveries in the coming weeks and help stabilize water supplies for the region’s agricultural sector, while easing concerns over further declines that had also contributed to deteriorating water quality and a recent fish kill affecting approximately 1,200 fish cage operators in the province.
ia/xf
