La Mesa Watershed and Lcoark

1he La Mesa WaLershed and Lcoark ls a dam and an ecologlcal reservaLlon slLe ln Cuezon ClLy ln
Lhe hlllpplnes lL ls parL of Lhe AngaLlpoLa Mesa waLer sysLem whlch supplles mosL of Lhe waLer
supply of MeLro Manlla 1he La Mesa uam ls an earLh dam whose reservolr can hold up Lo 303 mllllon
cublc meLers occupylng an area of 27 square kllomeLers
1he waLer collecLed ln Lhe reservolr ls LreaLed onslLe by Lhe Maynllad WaLer Servlces and aL Lhe 8alara
1reaLmenL lanL furLher souLh by Lhe Manlla WaLer 8oLh waLer companles are prlvaLe concesslonalres
awarded by Lhe MeLropollLan WaLerworks and Sewerage SysLem Lhe governmenL agency ln charge of
waLer supply
An ecofrlendly playground ln uezon C|ty La Mesa WaLershed and Lcoark has one of Lhe lasL foresLs
lnslde Man||a Cwned by Lhe governmenL Lhe 2700hecLare park ls bullL around Lhe La Mesa uam Lhe
drlnklng waLer reservolr of Lhe whole meLropolls lL ls Lhus creaLed Lo preserve Lhe clLy's mosL preclous
waLer Lank 8ecause lL ls also a rlch source of clean alr Lhe park has been Lagged Lhe lungs of Manlla"
Attract|ons
1he park's aLLracLlons lnclude flve hecLares of plcnlc groves conLalnlng varlous specles of Lrees A flLness
Lrall has 17 exerclslng sLaLlons whlle a 12km mounLaln blke Lrall passes Lhrough Lwo hecLares of
flower Lerraces a flshlng wharf and Lhe counLry's only salL waLer swlmmlng pool
1he park's buLLerfly Lrall and haLchery ls nearby varlous pavlllons for prlvaLe funcLlons 1here ls also
anLcomuseum for blodlverslLy conservaLlon and envlronmenLal educaLlon as well as a lagoon for a
lelsurely paddle boaLlng
Slnce lL ls creaLed Lo promoLe ouLdoor recreaLlon Lhe park has lLs own advenLure zone LhaL lncludes a
palnLball fleld and faclllLles for wall cllmblng zlp llnlng and rappelllng 1he park also accommodaLes
overnlghL campers and wlll soon have lLs own and mlnl golf course Among Lhe park's oLher servlces are
provldlng gulded walklng Lours and packaged group lecLures on gardenlng and arLs and crafLs
Iees and open|ng hours
1he park ls open from 8 am Lo 3 pm dally Admlsslon Lo Lhe park ls 30 (for Lhose above Lhree feeL)
and free for Lhree feeL and below WlLh valld lu resldenLs of Cuezon ClLy wlll be charged 40 for Lhe
enLrance fee sLudenLs wlll pay 20 whlle senlors are free of charge
lor Lhe pool (9 am Lo 4 pm dally) Lhe enLrance fee ls 80 for Lhose above Lhree feeL and 40 for
Lhose below Lhree feeL vlslLors should be ln proper swlmmlng aLLlre (no buLLons zlppers and coLLon
made fabrlcs)
Porseback rldlng 130/100/30/rlde 8uLLerfly Lrall and haLchery enLrance 30/head boaL renLal
100/boaL/30 mlnuLes palnLball renLal 330/head (gear + 30 bulleLs) or 300/head (gear + 100 bulleLs)
or 730/head (gear + 220 bulleLs) wall cllmblng 30 zlp llnlng 100 rappelllng 30 blke renLal 30
80/hour flshlng 80/kllo flshlng rod renLal 20/day
ln addlLlon a 300 flne wlll be charged for llLLerlng Loud muslc karaoke llquor and lllegal drugs are
sLrlcLly prohlblLed CvernlghL camplng can be arranged Lhrough http]]|amesaecoparkcom] and Lel
nos (02) 4109670 and (02) 4132227

now to get there
La Mesa WaLershed and Lcoark ls ln LasL lalrvlew 1he only way Lo geL Lhere ls Lhrough a Laxl or a
prlvaLe vehlcle lrom Cuezon Clrcle Lake CommonwealLh Avenue Lurn aL earl SLreeL Lurn lefL Lhen
sLralghL Lo uunhlll SLreeL where Lhe park ls locaLed


AbouL Lamesa Lco ark

La Mesa WaLershed ln Cuezon ClLy ls Lhe prlmary source of drlnklng waLer of abouL 12 mllllon MeLro
Manlla resldenLs 1he properLy ls owned by Lhe MeLropollLan WaLerworks and Sewerage SysLem
(MWSS) a governmenL agency La Mesa WaLershed ls 2700 hecLares 700 hecLares of whlch ls Lhe
reservolr and 2000 hecLares of whlch ls Lhe surroundlng foresL 1hls foresL ls Lhe lasL remalnlng one of lLs
slze ln MeLro Manlla and serves as lLs carbon dloxlde slnk La Mesa WaLershed Lherefore ls vlLal Lo Lhe
clLy noL only because lL ls a prlmary source of drlnklng waLer buL also because lLs foresL funcLlons as Lhe
lungs of MeLro Manlla provldlng lL wlLh clean alr
uue Lo lack of funds lllegal seLLllng poachlng and logglng La Mesa WaLershed came lnLo dlsrepalr
and ruln ln 1999 A8SC8n loundaLlon lnc creaLed 8anLay kallkasan (naLure WaLch) and ln
parLnershlp wlLh Lhe MWSS underLook Lhe Save La Mesa WaLershed ro[ecL 1he pro[ecL almed Lo
rehablllLaLe reforesL preserve and proLecL La Mesa WaLershed 1he LoLal area LhaL needed
reforesLaLlon was 1300 hecLares 1oday elghL years slnce Lhe pro[ecL sLarLed only 138 hecLares remaln
Lo be planLed 8anLay kallkasan's sLraLegy of acLlvely lnvolvlng Lhe general publlc ln Lhe pro[ecL Lhrough
lLs AdopL/roLecLA1ree/ PecLare programs was key Lo lLs success
1o susLaln Lhe Save La Mesa WaLershed ro[ecL 8anLay kallkasan ln parLnershlp wlLh Lhe MWSS and
Lhe CC CovernmenL rehablllLaLed and renovaLed a 33 hecLare publlc park locaLed rlghL ouLslde Lhe
naLural boundarles of Lhe waLershed and 40 meLers below Lhe reservolr ln SepLember 2004 lL was
renamed La Mesa Lcopark and reopened Lo Lhe publlc All revenues generaLed by La Mesa Lcopark are
uLlllzed for Lhe conLlnuous preservaLlon and proLecLlon of La Mesa WaLershed
La Mesa Lcopark envlslons a beLLer envlronmenL for our chlldren Cur mlsslon ls Lo spread
envlronmenLal awareness Lhrough educaLlon and advocacy La Mesa Lcopark ls a venue provldlng for
healLhful ouLdoor recreaLlon and a Lrue foresL experlence lL ls a llvlng classroom and laboraLory for
envlronmenLal educaLlon and alms Lo be a cenLer for blodlverslLy conservaLlon ln 2006 over 280
dlfferenL schools from all over Lhe counLry some comlng from as far as Laoag 8ohol and Cebu Lrooped
Lo La Mesa Lcopark for Lhelr educaLlonal school fleld Lrlps 1oday Lhe park conLlnues Lo be a popular
desLlnaLlon for famlly ouLlngs and plcnlcs a more healLhful alLernaLlve Lo shopplng malls
AL La Mesa Lcopark each member of Lhe famlly can en[oy varled ouLdoor acLlvlLles La Mesa Lcopark
boasLs of Lhe followlng faclllLles
Lopez |cn|c Grounds llve hecLares of plcnlc spoLs wlLh grllllng faclllLles underneaLh a foresL of varled
Lrees

Sa|t Water Sw|mm|ng oo| robably Lhe only salL waLer pool LhaL ls open Lo Lhe publlc SalL granules
are used lnsLead of chlorlne maklng Lhe waLer safer and less Loxlc

Superferry 8oat|ng Lagoon 1o experlence and en[oy a paddle boaL rlde one once had Lo Lrek all Lhe
way Lo 8agulo's 8urnham ark Lo do so now Lhls popular acLlvlLy ls avallable rlghL here ln Cuezon ClLy

I|sh|ng Lagoon llshlng ls anoLher very popular Lodo aL Lhe park

etron I|tness and Mounta|n 8|ke 1ra|| Pere one can en[oy a fullbody workouL under Lhe shade of
Lrees 1he flLness Lrall has 17 exerclse sLaLlons and connecLs Lo a foresLed 12 km mounLaln blke Lrall

She|| I|ower 1erraces 1wo hecLares of flower Lerraces 1hls ls acLually Lhe dam wall of Lhe reservolr

Lcomuseum A museum dedlcaLed Lo envlronmenLal educaLlon and blodlverslLy conservaLlon

8utterf|y 1ra|| and natchery An educaLlonal walk Lhrough Lhe wonderful colorful world of buLLerflles

varlous pavlllons for renL are avallable for prlvaLe funcLlons

CvernlghL camplng faclllLles also avallable
CLher faclllLles comlng soon are

Adventure 2one 1eam 8u||d|ng Iac|||ty

M|n|Go|f Course
Come vlslL La Mesa Lcopark! !usL by vlslLlng you are already acLlvely parLlclpaLlng ln savlng La Mesa
WaLershed See you all aL La Mesa Lcopark!
LA MLSA LCCAkk MISSICN
1he prlmary purpose of La Mesa Lcopark ls Lo provlde opporLunlLles for en[oylng healLhful ouLdoor
recreaLlon and Lo serve as ouLdoor classrooms for envlronmenLal educaLlon ln meeLlng Lhese purposes
Lhe conservaLlon of Lhe naLural scenlc aesLheLlc and hlsLorlcal values of parks should be glven flrsL
conslderaLlon SLewardshlp responslblllLles should be carrled ouL ln a way LhaL proLecLs Lhe naLural
ouLdoor experlence for Lhe en[oymenL of currenL and fuLure generaLlons All revenues generaLed by La
Mesa Lcopark are used for Lhe conLlnuous preservaLlon and proLecLlon of Lhe La Mesa WaLershed
whlch ls Lhe prlmary source of drlnklng waLer of abouL 12 mllllon MeLro Manlla resldenLs
nLL kLSLkVL kC1LC1 LA MLSA LCCAkk
lease make your vlslL safe and en[oyable Cbey all posLed rules and regulaLlons and respecL fellow
vlslLors and Lhe resources of Lhe park
8e prepared and brlng Lhe proper equlpmenL naLural areas may possess hazards ?ou are responslble
for you and your famlly's safeLy

8eware! WaLch ouL for falllng branches

uo your parL Lo keep wlldllfe wlld! Ln[oy wlldllfe from a safe dlsLance and do noL approach wlld anlmals

1ry Lo mlnlmlze your lmpacL on naLure!


What's a Water Shed?

A waLershed ls a baslnllke landform deflned by hlghpolnLs and rldgellnes LhaL descend lnLo lower
elevaLlons and sLream valleys A waLershed carrles waLer shed from Lhe land afLer raln falls and snow
melLs urop by drop waLer ls channeled lnLo solls groundwaLers creeks and sLreams maklng lLs way Lo
larger rlvers and evenLually Lhe sea WaLer ls a unlversal solvenL affecLed by all LhaL lL comes ln conLacL
wlLh Lhe land lL Lraverses and Lhe solls Lhrough whlch lL Lravels 1he lmporLanL Lhlng abouL waLersheds
ls whaL we do on Lhe land affecLs waLer quallLy for all communlLles llvlng downsLream

Cllck on an lllusLraLlon aL rlghL Lo learn abouL Lhe WaLersheds how Lhese waLersheds were formed by
glaclers how long lL Look for Lhem Lo form how naLural sysLems handle waLer Lhe meanderlngs of Lhe
Monongahela 8lver and how our socleLy lmpacLs waLer quallLy

What |s a Watershed?
A waLershed ls Lhe area of land where all of Lhe waLer LhaL ls under lL or dralns off of lL goes lnLo Lhe
same place !ohn Wesley owell sclenLlsL geographer puL lL besL when he sald LhaL a waLershed ls
LhaL area of land a bounded hydrologlc sysLem wlLhln whlch all llvlng Lhlngs are lnexLrlcably llnked by
Lhelr common waLer course and where as humans seLLled slmple loglc demanded LhaL Lhey become
parL of a communlLy
WaLersheds come ln all shapes and slzes 1hey cross counLy sLaLe and naLlonal boundarles ln Lhe
conLlnenLal uS Lhere are 2110 waLersheds lncludlng Pawall Alaska and uerLo 8lco Lhere are 2267
waLersheds