Balanan Lake

Balanan Lake is situated about 15 km from the national highway of Siaton, in the Province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. Lined with century-old trees, the lake is ideal for swimming, relaxing, and other recreations. It is a freshwater lake in the forested mountains of the southern portion of the island of Negros, with a shape resembling a figure of eight, the narrowest point between the two main portions of the lake being only 90 metres wide. The lake is surrounded by mountain ranges, and is fed by three three tributaries, all located in the northern end. These are the Lamarao creek at the northeastern corner with two waterfalls, the Balanan creek at the middle of the northern end with another waterfall, and the Nasig-id creek at the Northwestern end. The lake has a humid tropical climate with two pronounced seasons, a dry season from November to April and a wet season for the rest of the year. The lake and surrounding forests are currently being managed as a Watershed Area by the Bureau of Forest Development. A proposal has been made to designate the area as a Game Refuge and Wildlife Sanctuary to protect the large population of bats and other wildlife. This proposal was endorsed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Region 7, in January 1987. Balanan Lake was formed by a tectonic earthquake with the magnitude of a 6.8 on the Richter scale that hit the southern portion of the island of Negros, and caused landslides in the Southern ends of both the Balanan and Nasig-id ranges in Siaton. The fallen rocks and soil dammed the Balanan River that flowed between these mountain ranges forming a 25-hectare "humerus" bone-formed lake oriented along the Northwest-Southeast line. [ [http://foo.ncc.gov.ph/ecommunity/siaton-negor/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=46 Official website of Siaton, Negros Oriental] ]

History

The 5th day of the 5th month of the 25th year of the 20th Century seemed like an ordinary day in the small town of Siaton , Negros Oriental. But, at exactly 5 o'clock p.m. of that day, dogs started howling, horses and caged birds became restless as if wanting to hastily escape. Their sixth sense was telling them that something unusual was about to happen.

Suddenly, right after an eerie silence, a strong earthquake registering 6.8 on the Richter Scale shook the town. It was followed by a frightening, thunderous sound which turned out to be a massive landslide felling centuries-old trees and house-sized boulders on both sides of the Balanan and Nasig-id ridges. That instant, the walls of the Roman Catholic Church of Siaton also collapsed. The landslide created a natural dam, now aptly called Sampong (meaning “to close”) across the Balanan River , causing the water to rise and create what is now called the Balanan Lake. [ [http://balanan.com/ Balanan Lake] ]

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