Puttalam Lagoon
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 |
| 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
A moderate number islands scatter over the lagoon including:
| Island | Area | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Ippantivu | 08°19′45″N 79°48′16″E | |
| Periya Arichchal | 08°18′03″N 79°47′50″E | |
| Salliyampiddi | 08°17′03″N 79°47′33″E | |
| Oddakarentivu | 08°16′35″N 79°45′50″E | |
| Sinna Erumativu | 08°16′28″N 79°46′21″E | |
| Erumativu | 08°16′04″N 79°46′45″E | |
| Pambativu | 08°14′42″N 79°46′33″E | |
| Kilitivu | 08°14′27″N 79°46′52″E | |
| Neduntivu | 08°14′06″N 79°46′45″E | |
| Mattutivu | 08°13′01″N 79°46′59″E | |
| Ambantattivu | 08°12′42″N 79°45′58″E | |
| Pullupiddi | 08°11′20″N 79°46′40″E | |
| Somativu | 08°10′45″N 79°45′22″E | |
| Maripututivu | 08°10′33″N 79°44′59″E | |
| Kakativu | 08°10′26″N 79°45′22″E | |
| Udayirputi | 08°09′52″N 79°48′37″E | |
References
- 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.
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