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. | |
| 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. 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 | |
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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 2012-05-16, retrieved 2010-07-02
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