Maha Oya

Major stream in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka

Physical characteristicsSource • locationNawalapitiya, Aranayake Mouth

• location

Kochchikade, Negombo

• coordinates

07°16′21″N 79°50′34″E / 7.27250°N 79.84278°E / 7.27250; 79.84278

• elevation

Sea levelLength134 km (83 mi)Basin featuresWaterfallsAsupini EllaBridgesMawanella Bridge

The Maha Oya (Sinhala: මහ ඔය, lit. 'Great River') is a major watercourse in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. It measures approximately 134 km (83 mi) in length.^[1] It runs across four provinces and five districts. The Maha Oya has 14 water supply networks to serve the need of water and more than 1 million people live by the river.^[2]

Its catchment area receives approximately 3,644 million cubic metres of rain per year, and approximately 34 percent of the water reaches the sea. It has a catchment area of 1,510 square kilometres.^[3]

References

^ Yassin Mohammed, Essam (2013). Economic Incentives for Marine and Coastal Conservation: Prospects, Challenges and Policy Implications. Routledge. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-135-00663-1.
^ "Maha Oya Sand Mining To Affect Millions". Archived from the original on 20 July 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
^ "Sri Lanka: Rivers". FAO. Retrieved 12 October 2016.

Inland waters of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan irrigation network
- Tank cascade system
Mahaweli Authority
Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management

Rivers

≥100km	Deduru Oya Gal Oya Gin Ganga Kala Oya Kalu Ganga Kukule Ganga Kelani River Kehelgamu Oya Maskeliya Oya Pusweli Oya Kirindi Oya Kumbukkan Oya Maduru Oya Maha Oya Malwathu Oya Amban Ganga Kotmale Oya Nanu Oya Mahaweli Ganga Menik Ganga Mi Oya Walawe River Belihul Oya Yan Oya
<100km	Akkarayan Aru Kanakarayan Aru Kodalikkallu Aru Madu Ganga Mandekal Aru Mavil Aru Nay Aru (Mannar) Nay Aru (Mullaitivu) Netheli Aru Nilwala River Pali Aru Pallavarayankaddu Aru Parangi Aru Per Aru Piramenthal Aru Theravil Aru Valukkai Aru Verugal Aru

Lakes

Lagoons

Eastern coast	Batticaloa Lagoon Chalai Lagoon Chundikkulam Lagoon Kokkilai Lagoon Nai Aru Lagoon Nanthi Lagoon Ullackalie Lagoon Upaar Lagoon Vadamarachchi Lagoon Valaichchenai Lagoon
Western coast	Jaffna Lagoon Mundal Lagoon Negombo Lagoon Puttalam Lagoon Uppu Aru Lagoon
Southern coast	Koggala Lagoon Rekawa Lagoon Malala-Ambilikala Lagoons

Dams and
reservoirs

With hydroelectric capabilities	Bowatenna Broadlands Canyon Castlereigh Deduru Oya Dyraaba Gal Oya Kotmale Kukule Ganga Laxapana Maskeliya Moragahakanda Moragolla Nilambe Norton Polgolla Randenigala Rantembe Samanala Udawalawe Upper Kotmale Victoria
Irrigation-only (incl. ancient tanks)	Abhayavapi Diyawanna Giant's Tank Giritale Tank Inginimitiya Iranamadu Tank Kala Wewa Kalu Ganga Kandalama Kantale Konduwattuwana Wewa Lake Gregory Lunugamwehera Maduru Oya Minneriya Tank Muthuiyankaddu Kulam Nachchaduwa wewa Parakrama Samudra Puhulpola Rajanganaya Rambakan Oya Ratkinda Sorabora Wewa Tissa Wewa (Anuradhapura) Tissa Wewa (Tissamaharama) Ulhitiya Vavuni Kulam

With hydroelectric
capabilities