The Puttalam Lagoon is a large 327 km2 (126 sq mi) lagoon in the Puttalam District, western Sri Lanka.
| Puttalam Lagoon | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of the northern-half of the lagoon. | |
  Puttalam Lagoon | |
| Location | Puttalam |
| Coordinates | 08°06′N 79°46′E / 8.100°N 79.767°E |
| Primary inflows | Kala Oya Mi Oya |
| Basin countries | Sri Lanka |
| Max. length | 28 km (17 mi) |
| Max. width | 12 km (7 mi) |
| Surface area | 327 km2 (126 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) |
| Max. depth | 5 m (16.4 ft) |
| Surface elevation | Sea level |
| References | [1][2] |
The lagoon is fed by two rivers, namely the Kala Oya and Mi Oya, discharging at 2.2 m3/s (77.7 cu ft/s) and 8.1 m3/s (286.0 cu ft/s) respectively. It is linked to Mundal Lagoon 15 km (9.3 mi) to the south by a channel. The lagoon's water is brackish to saline.
The lagoon is surrounded by a region containing coconuts, open forests, grasslands and shrublands. The land is used for prawn fishing, salt production, and rice cultivation.[3] The lagoon has extensive mangroves, seagrasses and some salt marshes, attracting a wide variety of anatidae.
Islands
editA moderate number islands scatter over the lagoon including:
See also
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Puttalam Lagoon.
References
edit- ^ Management of coastal resources in Puttalam Lagoon, Sri Lanka (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22, retrieved 2010-07-02
- ^ S.W. Kotagama; Leonard Pinto; Jayampathi L. Samarakoon, Wetlands of Sri Lanka (PDF), Wetlands International, pp. 52, 53, archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-18, retrieved 2010-07-02
- ^ Haque, A. K. Enamul; Murty, M. N.; Shyamsundar, Priya (2011). Environmental Valuation in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9781139504782.