Ministry of Agriculture: Water Level of Wanli Creek Landslide-Dammed Lake Nears Spillway, Yellow Alert Maintained

(Central News Agency reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, 13th) The Ministry of Agriculture convened the 'Wanli Creek Landslide-Dammed Lake Disaster Emergency Response Task Force Meeting' this afternoon. It was estimated that the lake's water level is about 3.84 meters from the potential spillway, and the yellow alert remains in effect. Disaster prevention teams are closely monitoring the situation.

The Ministry stated that a red alert will be issued once the estimated time to overflow reaches 12 hours, triggering mandatory evacuations. All related risks are under close surveillance, and both central and local governments continue to maintain a high state of alert, ready to respond to any changes in the situation.

According to the latest monitoring data released by the Ministry at 1:00 PM, the estimated water storage of the dammed lake is approximately 4.4409 million cubic meters, about 87.08% of the total capacity of 5.1 million cubic meters. The water level is about 3.84 meters from the potential spillway and is gradually approaching the critical overflow level. The disaster prevention team is currently monitoring the situation closely.

The Ministry urges residents within the alert zone to remain vigilant during this critical disaster preparedness phase and not to become complacent due to the temporary downgrade to yellow alert. They must be ready to evacuate immediately according to government instructions.

Additionally, during Typhoon Bavi's influence, rainfall in the Wanli Creek watershed was lower than initially predicted by the Central Weather Administration. Although inflow into the lake increased briefly, the water level has already approached the warning elevation.

Moreover, ongoing landslides continue to deposit loose debris, raising the dam's local elevation to 1,087.5 meters. Due to the unstable and highly uncertain nature of the loose sediment, the alert threshold for overflow remains set at 1,086 meters.

The 'Wanli Creek Landslide-Dammed Lake Disaster Emergency Response Task Force Meeting' was jointly convened by the Ministry of Agriculture with the Executive Yuan Office of Disaster Prevention and Response, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Ministry of National Defense, National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction, Council of Indigenous Peoples, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Hualien County Government, Wanrong Township Office, Fenglin Township Office, Taiwan Railway Corporation, Chunghwa Telecom, Taipower, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Society for Disaster Prevention, and experts and scholars in civil engineering, hydraulics, and slope disaster prevention. Ongoing reviews and adjustments to emergency preparedness measures are being conducted. (Editor: Huang Ming-hsi) 1150713