Wawa Dam, also known as Montalban Dam,Philippine Commission (1912). "Annual Reports of the U.S. War Department 1912, Vol. IV". Government Printing Office, Washington. is a gravity dam constructed over the Marikina River in the municipality of Rodriguez, Rizal, Philippines."Final List of Watersheds Supporting 140 River Irrigation Systems of the NIA" , pg. 5. Green Army Network. Retrieved on August 15, 2012. The slightly arched dam is situated in the high Montalban Gorge or Wawa Gorge,"Wawa Gorge". Google Maps. Retrieved on August 15, 2012. a water gap in the Sierra Madre Mountains east of Metro Manila.
Construction on the dam began in 1904, which became operational in 1909 under the American colonial Insular Government, to provide the water needs for Manila.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
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. Due to insufficiency of water supply for Metro Manila, there was a strong clamor to reuse the dam. The dam and surrounding area is currently protected as part of the Pamitinan Protected Landscape.
In July 2024, the impounding process of the ₱26.5 billion Upper Wawa Dam project, in San Rafael, Rodriguez, Rizal was undertaken by Prime Infra and Wawa JVCo. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is tasked with protecting 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 to operate a 600-megawatt energy storage facility.
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Cooling off at Wawa Dam Wawa Dam Wawa Dam pushed as alternative water source People flock to Wawa Dam to beat the summer heat