Lake Lanao topographic map

Name: Lake Lanao topographic map, elevation, terrain.

Location: Lake Lanao, Lanao del Sur, Bangsamoro, Philippines (7.78083 124.10453 8.00328 124.37106)

Average elevation: 787 m

Minimum elevation: 614 m

Maximum elevation: 1,798 m

The lake has great hydroelectric potential due to its 700 meter elevation, and as such, in 1950, the Philippines National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) began the construction of a series of hydroelectric plants titled Agus I – Agus VII along the Agus River system, which generates 70% of the electricity used by the people of Mindanao. In 1978, the Marawi Lake Regulation Dam (MLRD) was constructed at the mouth of the Agus, and five power plants were commissioned shortly afterwards (Agus I, II, IV, V, and VII). Notably, Agus I is not located on the river, but directly on the shoreline of the lake, in the heart of Marawi City. While the MLRD does not affect the function of the four downstream dams, the construction of Agus I effectively turned the lake into a reservoir, sparking significant backlash among the Maranao. In October 1990, the Maranao publicly demonstrated as Agus I was finishing construction, leading to the birth of the Save Lake Lanao Movement (SALAM), which intended to obstruct NAPOCOR's progress in building Agus I. SALAM contended that the dam would act as an artificial, alternative outlet to the Agus that is deeply unnatural and would result in a 9 meter fluctuation of the lake level. Conflict between SALAM and NAPOCOR resulted in the creation of the Task Force on Agus 1 by Aquilino Pimentel Jr., which subsequently delayed the commission date of the plant to January 14, 1992. In the two months following Agus I's operation date, President Corazon Aquino declared the Lake Lanao watershed as a reservation and established the Lake Lanao Watershed Protection and Development Council (LLWPDC), a policy group with both SALAM and NAPOCOR representatives. Despite these efforts, NAPOCOR has since not made any major concessions to the Maranao. SALAM and the Maranao continue to protect the Lanao watershed from environmental degradation.

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