Lake Caliraya

Lake Caliraya is a man-made lake situated in the municipalities of Lumban, Cavinti, and Kalayaan in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Created in 1939, the lake has developed as a destination for water sports and recreational fishing. 

Lake Caliraya was created after the construction of Caliraya Dam, an embankment dam started in 1939 by the US Army Corps of Engineers Chief in the Philippines, Lieutenant Colonel (later Major General) Hugh J. Casey, with the approval of Philippine Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon.  The Caliraya River was dammed at its outlet from a large flat plateau area providing a large water reservoir for generating hydroelectric power for Southern Luzon. The dam was over  high from which a diversion canal was constructed several miles to the head of a steep slope about 950 feet above Laguna de Bay. Large penstocks were constructed diverting water down to the powerhouse below, with "tailrace" down to the Laguna lake. 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.Casey, Hugh J., ed. (1993) "Major General Hugh J. Casey, Engineer Memoirs", United States Department of the Army, Washington, D.C. 

260px|thumb|right|Caliraya Lake Spillway

The rehabilitation of 25 hectares of denuded upland forest along the eastern (Brgy, Caliraya) and northern (Brgy, Paowin) shores of the Caliraya Watershed in the Cavinti municipality of Laguna was signed in a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the country's Climate Change Commission (CCC) and National Power Corporation (Napocor).

Geography
Lake Caliraya is situated approximately 1,200 feet above sea level, and is elevated high in Luzon's Sierra Madre mountain range. The lake's bottom, as well as the surrounding hills, are characterized by a reddish clay topsoil. The lake's floor has a very soft clay bottom. The locality is characterized by blowing winds from the start of September up until late May the following year.

References

Category:Lakes of the Philippines