Puttalam Lagoon

Puttalam Lagoon
Aerial view of the northern-half of the lagoon.
Puttalam Lagoon is located in Sri Lanka
Puttalam Lagoon
Puttalam Lagoon
LocationPuttalam
Coordinates08°06′N 79°46′E / 8.100°N 79.767°E / 8.100; 79.767 (Puttalam Lagoon)
Primary inflowsKala Oya
Mi Oya
Basin countriesSri Lanka
Max. length28 km (17 mi)
Max. width12 km (7 mi)
Surface area327 km2 (126 sq mi)
Average depth1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft)
Max. depth5 m (16.4 ft)
Surface elevationSea level
References[1][2]

The Puttalam Lagoon is a large 327 km2 (126 sq mi) lagoon in the Puttalam District, western Sri Lanka.

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.

  1. ^ Management of coastal resources in Puttalam Lagoon, Sri Lanka (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22, retrieved 2010-07-02
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ Haque, A. K. Enamul; Murty, M. N.; Shyamsundar, Priya (2011). Environmental Valuation in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9781139504782.