Rivers
The rich network of rivers in Sri Lanka make the island an oasis at any time of year, naturally watering the paradise garden with its splendid heritage. The highest concentration of rivers and lakes is found in the south-west of the country, making it possibly the most fertile area in Sri Lanka.
Flüsse
Die Flüsse Sri Lankas entspringen im zentralen Hochland. Von dort steigen sie in die Ebene hinab und münden ins Meer. Die Flüsse sind in ihren höheren Lagen normalerweise nicht schiffbar, wo sie schnell und turbulent durch stark erodierte Passagen in die darunter liegenden Ebenen fließen. Viele Flüsse stürzen über steile Klippen hinab und bilden spektakuläre Wasserfälle. In ihren Unterläufen schlängeln sich die Flüsse langsam durch Überschwemmungsgebiete und Deltas.
Der längste Fluss Sri Lankas, der Mahaweli , hat eine Länge von etwa 330 km (ca. 205 Meilen). Er fließt nordöstlich durch das zentrale Hochland und mündet in der Nähe des Hafens von Trincomalee an der Ostküste in den Golf von Bengalen. Der zweitlängste Fluss des Landes ist der Aravi Aru, der etwa 220 km (ca. 135 Meilen) in nordwestlicher Richtung vom zentralen Hochland bis zum Golf von Mannār zurücklegt.
Sri Lanka hat keine natürlichen Seen . Staudämme am Mahaweli und anderen Flüssen haben große Stauseen geschaffen. Darüber hinaus gibt es in der nördlichen Zentralebene eine Reihe kleiner Stauseen, sogenannte Tanks, die während der Trockenzeit Wasser speichern. Einige der Tanks wurden bereits vor 2.000 Jahren gebaut.
Ein großer Teil Sri Lankas ist trocken und hat nur wenige ständige Flüsse. Die „Feuchtzone“ der südwestlichen Region ist jedoch durch zahlreiche Flüsse gekennzeichnet, die in den hohen Bergen des zentralen Teils der Insel entspringen. Diese vielfältigen Flusseinzugsgebiete beherbergen endemische Populationen von Wasserpflanzen, Muscheln und Fischen.
Sri Lankas bekannte Süßwasserarten umfassen 90 Fische (von denen 26 endemisch sind) und 21 Krabben. Laufende Studien deuten jedoch darauf hin, dass die Anzahl der unbeschriebenen Arten möglicherweise recht groß ist.
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Malwathu Oya (මල්වතු ඔය)
The Malvathu River long river in Sri Lanka, connecting the city of Anuradhapura, which was the capital of the country for over 15 centuries, to the coast of Mannar. It currently ranks as the second longest river in the country, with a great historic significance.
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Kelani River (කැලණි ගඟ)
The Kelani River is a 145-kilometre-long (90 mi) river in Sri Lanka. Ranking as the fourth-longest river in the country, it stretches from the Sri Pada Mountain Range to Colombo. It flows through or borders the Sri Lankan districts of Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Gampaha and Colombo.
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Yan Oya (යාන් ඔය)
The Yan Oya is the fifth-longest river of Sri Lanka. It measures approximately 142 km (88 mi) in length. Its catchment area receives approximately 2,371 million cubic metres of rain per year, and approximately 17 percent of the water reaches the sea. It has a catchment area of 1,520 square kilometres.
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Walawe River (වලවේ ගඟ)
The southern region of Sri Lanka is exalted by a bushel of enthralling and glorified rivers and the Walawe River is one of them. Gently flowing through the Udawalawe National Park, the Walawe River provides water for a multitude of species of mesmerising fauna.
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Kalu Ganga (කළු ගඟ)
Kalu Ganga is a river in Sri Lanka. Measuring 129 km (80 mi) in length, the river originates from Sri Padhaya and reach the sea at Kalutara. The Black River flows through the Ratnapura and the Kalutara District and pass the city Ratnapura. The mountainous forests in the Central Province and the Sinharaja Forest Reserve are the main sources of water for the river.
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Maha Oya (මහ ඔය)
The Maha Oya is a major stream in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It measures approximately 134 km (83 mi) in length. It runs across four provinces and five districts. Maha Oya has 14 Water supply networks to serve the need of water and more than 1 million people live by the river.
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Gin Ganga (ගිං ගඟ)
The Gin Ganga, is a 115.9 km (72 mi) long river situated in Galle District of Sri Lanka. The river's headwaters are located in the Gongala Mountain range, near Deniyaya, bordering the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.
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Malwathu Oya (මල්වතු ඔය)
It currently ranks as the second longest river in the country, with a great historic significance. The northern part of the river, and sometimes the whole river, was once been known as Aruvi Aru.
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Kala Oya (කලා ඔය)
It was around these ancient tank (water storage reservoir) irrigation systems that the economy and human settlements of early Sri Lankan society were organised into a “hydraulic civilization”.
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Deduru Oya (දැදුරු ඔය)
The Deduru Oya Dam is an embankment dam built across the Deduru River in Kurunegala District of Sri Lanka. Built in 2014, the primary purpose of the dam is to retain approximately a billion cubic metres of water for irrigation purposes, which would otherwise flow out to sea.
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Walawe River (වලවේ ගඟ)
Initiating from the "Samanala" or Butterfly Mountain, the Walawe River is one of the major rivers of the southern portion of the island and it covers an area of nearly 1,000 square miles.
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Maduru Oya (මාදුරු ඔය)
The Maduru Oya is a major stream in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is approximately 135 km (84 mi) in length. Its catchment area receives approximately 3,060 million cubic metres of rain per year, and approximately 26 percent of the water reaches the sea.
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Kumbukkan Oya (කුඹුක්කන් ඔය)
The Kumbukkan Oya is the twelfth-longest river of Sri Lanka. It is approximately 116 km (72 mi) long. It runs across two provinces and two districts. Its catchment area receives approximately 2,115 million cubic metres of rain per year, and approximately 12 percent of the water reaches the sea.
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Mi Oya (මී ඔය)
The Mi oya is a 108 km (67 mi) long river, in North Western of Sri Lanka. It is the fifteenth-longest river in Sri Lanka. It begins in Saliyagama and flows northwest, emptying into the Indian Ocean thru Puttalam.