List of dams and reservoirs in Sri Lanka

The following page lists most dams in Sri Lanka. Most of these dams are governed by the Mahaweli Authority, while the Ceylon Electricity Board operates dams used for hydroelectric power generation. Hydroelectric dams, including small hydros accounts for nearly half of the installed power capacity of Sri Lanka.

Hydroelectricity accounts for nearly half of the installed power capacity of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is pockmarked with many irrigation dams with its water resource distributed across nearly the entirety of the island for agricultural purposes via artificial canals and streams. Utilization of hydro resources for agricultural production dates back pre-Colonial era, with current crop productions now largely dependent on these water resources.

Dams in Sri Lanka
The Victoria Dam on 15 April 2011. Three days after its 26th anniversary of opening.
Randenigala Dam in 2013.
Upstream view of the Kotmale Dam.
Open spillways of the Rajanganaya Dam.

Irrigation dams with a length and height of more than 100 m (330 ft) and 10 m (33 ft) are listed, including all the state-run hydroelectric power stations. Privately owned "small-hydro" facilities (which are limited to a maximum nameplate capacity of 10 MW), are not included in this list. Nearly all hydroelectric dams are also used for providing water resource for irrigation purposes, hence for the sake of identifying the hydroelectric dams, any dam with hydroelectric involvement is stated as such in the below table, even if the primary purpose of building the dam is to retain water for irrigation.

Dam Location Purpose Length
(m)		 Height
(m)		 Gen. Type Ref
Bowatenna 07°40′00″N 80°40′00″E Hydroelectricity 226 30 40 Gravity  
Broadlands 06°58′50″N 80°27′09″E Hydroelectricity 114 24 35 Gravity [1]
Canyon 06°52′18″N 80°31′34″E Hydroelectricity     100 Arch-gravity
Castlereigh 06°52′24″N 80°33′59″E Hydroelectricity     50 Gravity  
Deduru Oya 07°43′06″N 80°16′28″E Hydroelectricity 2,400 20 1.5 Embankment [2]
Dyraaba 06°53′13″N 80°57′23″E Hydroelectricity 165 50 120 Gravity [3]
Gal Oya 07°12′37″N 81°32′10″E Hydroelectricity 1,100 43 12 Embankment  
Inginimitiya 07°56′40″N 80°07′54″E Irrigation 4,880 18 N/A Embankment  
Kalu Ganga 07°33′35″N 80°50′09″E Irrigation 546 67 N/A Gravity  
Kandalama 07°53′00″N 80°41′40″E Irrigation 1,600 21 N/A Embankment  
Kantale 08°21′40″N 80°59′29″E Irrigation 4,200 15 N/A Embankment  
Kotmale 07°03′39″N 80°35′50″E Hydroelectricity 600 87 201 Gravity  
Kukule Ganga 06°34′48″N 80°19′37″E Hydroelectricity 110 20 80 Gravity  
Laxapana 06°55′08″N 80°29′22″E Hydroelectricity     75 Gravity  
Lower Malvathu Oya   Irrigation         [4]
Lunugamwehera 06°21′11″N 81°12′09″E Irrigation     N/A Embankment  
Maduru Oya 07°38′53″N 81°12′50″E Irrigation 1,090 41 N/A Embankment  
Maskeliya 06°50′37″N 80°32′56″E Hydroelectricity     60 Gravity  
Moragahakanda 07°42′17″N 80°46′59″E Hydroelectricity   65 25 Gravity [5][6][7]
Moragolla   Hydroelectricity   35 30 Gravity [8]
Norton 06°54′50″N 80°31′18″E Hydroelectricity     50 Gravity  
Nilambe 07°11′18″N 80°37′52″E Hydroelectricity 70   3.2 Gravity  
Polgolla 07°19′18″N 80°38′42″E Hydroelectricity 144 14.6 40 Gravity  
Puhulpola 06°54′51″N 80°56′00″E Irrigation 175 45 NA Gravity [3]
Rajanganaya 08°08′30″N 80°13′23″E Irrigation     N/A Embankment  
Randenigala 07°12′00″N 80°55′30″E Hydroelectricity 485 94 126 Embankment  
Rambakan Oya 07°33′53″N 81°27′17″E Irrigation 1225 24.7 N/A Embankment  
Rantembe 07°12′00″N 80°57′00″E Hydroelectricity 420 42 52 Gravity  
Ratkinda 07°30′30″N 81°03′24″E Irrigation 4,960 25 N/A Embankment [9]
Samanala 06°40′54″N 80°47′54″E Hydroelectricity 530 110 124 Embankment  
Udawalawe 06°26′02″N 80°51′15″E Hydroelectricity 3,900   6 Embankment  
Ulhitiya 07°28′20″N 81°03′17″E Irrigation     N/A Embankment  
Upper Kotmale 06°56′48″N 80°39′29″E Hydroelectricity 180 35 150 Gravity [10][11]
Victoria 07°14′29″N 80°47′05″E Hydroelectricity 520 122 210 Arch [12]

See also

References
  1. "About the Broadlands Hydropower Project". BHPCEB.lk. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
  2. P. Krishnaswamy (12 January 2014). "Deduru Oya Reservoir Project commissioning, a landmark event". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  3. Sriyananda, Shanika (27 March 2015). "Uma Oya Project: More damages than benefits?". Daily FT. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  4. "Lower Malwathu Oya Project". Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  5. Principal project features of the Moragahakanda Dam and appurtenant structures, archived from the original on 2010-01-01, retrieved 2010-09-22
  6. Moragahakanda & Kaluganga Development Project, archived from the original on 2009-07-28, retrieved 2010-09-22
  7. Saudi gives Rs.5,332M for Kaluganga Project, archived from the original on 2010-02-12, retrieved 2010-09-22
  8. "Moragolla Hydropower". Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  9. Ratkinda/Ulhitiya Dam Archived 2009-07-28 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Upper Kotmale Dam, archived from the original on 2010-08-23, retrieved 2010-08-08
  11. Upper Kotmale power project to be completed soon, retrieved 2010-08-08
  12. Victoria Dam, archived from the original on 2010-02-20, retrieved 2010-08-08


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