Ratgama Lake Explained

Ratgama Lake
Pushpin Map:Sri Lanka
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Sri Lanka
Location:Galle District
Type:lagoon
Basin Countries:Sri Lanka

Ratgama Lake, also known as Rathgama Lake, is a brackish coastal lagoon, situated next to Dodanduwa in south of Sri Lanka.[1] [2] The lake is in area.[3] On its boundaries are the villages of Dodanduwa, Rathgama, Katudampe and Berathuduwa.

It is located about from the coast, south of Colombo, and about north Galle. The lake is connected to the Indian Ocean at Dodanduwa. Following the construction of a fishing harbour at Dodanduwa in 2009, a sand bar has regularly formed at the mouth of the lagoon, during the dry seasons the river flow through the lagoon, originating from the lake, is not strong enough to flush incoming sediment out and requires manual breeching. The sandbar also restricts saltwater intrusion into the lagoon.[1] [4] [5]

Fringing mangroves exist along the lagoon edge and in tiny islets. These mangrove areas are under threat from expansion of coconut cultivation and paddy rice fields.[3] [6] Twenty three species of mangrove trees and shrubs have been recorded, including Rhizophora mucronata, Avicennia marina, Excoecaria agallocha, Acanthus ilicifolius, Lumnitzera racemosa, Sonneratia caseolaris, Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Aegiceras corniculatum.[6]

The natural fisheries production of the Ratgama lake was estimated in 1959 to be per annum.[7]

There are four islands located on the lake: Polgasduwa, Matiduwa, Mahaduwa and Parappuduwa. Located on Pogasduwa (coconut island) and Metiduwa is the Island Hermitage, a Theravāda Buddhist forest monastery founded by Ven. Nyanatiloka Mahathera in 1911.[8] [9] Parappuduwa was the site of a Buddhist nun's monastery, which was established in 1984 by Ayya Khema (1923-1997) the first Western woman to become a Theravadin Buddhist nun, closing in 1987. It was abandoned for twenty years, before being re-occupied by Buddhist monks.[10] [11]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Priyadarshana T. . Manatunge J. . Wijeratne N. . Consequences of shifting natural mouth of Rathgama Lagoon an& finding solution to restore its natural functioning . Practical Action . Sri Lanka . 2009.
  2. A Simple Bulk Model to Estimate Salinity Stratification of Permanently Open Choked Coastal Lagoons in Sri Lanka . Perera, G. Lasitha . Furusato, Eiichi . Priyadarshana, Tilak . Journal of Japan Society of Civil Engineers . 71 . 4 . 2015 . 25–30.
  3. Book: Lagoons of Sri Lanka:From the Origins to the Present . Silva, E. I. L. . Katupotha, J. . Amarasinghe, O. . Manthrithilake, H. . Ariyaratna, Ranjith . International Water Management Institute . 2013 . 105 . 4 November 2023 . 30 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231030122244/https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Publications/Books/PDF/lagoons_of_sri_lanka-from_the_origins_to_the_present.pdf . live .
  4. Book: Project Dodanduwa . November 2016 . Hamelink, M. C. W. . Molendijk, J. A. W. . van Renswoude, A. J. . Vork, V. C. A. J. . Wevers, T. . van Zelst, V. T. M. . Delft University of Technology.
  5. Katupotha, Jinadasa . Mangroves in the West and Southwest Coasts of Sri Lanka . Journal of Coastal Research . 1990 . 605–19 . Coastal Education & Research Foundation, Inc..
  6. Mangroves in Lagoon Ecosytems: A Neglected Habitat in Sri Lanka . Katupotha, K. N. J. . Wildlanka . 4 . 3 . Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka . 2016.
  7. Book: Brackish-water Fishery Resources . Pillai, T. Gottfried . 1965.
  8. Book: The Life of Nyanatiloka Thera: The Biography of a Western Buddhist Pioneer . Nyanatusita, Bhikku . Hecker, Hellmuth . Kandy . 2008 . 4 November 2023 . 15 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120315073130/http://www.bps.lk/life_of_nyanatiloka_thera.html . live .
  9. News: A Little Known Heritage . . Renuka . Sadanandan . 14 February 2021 . 4 November 2023 . 31 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231031031838/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/210214/plus/a-little-known-heritage-432081.html . live .
  10. News: Polgasduwa Island Hermitage and Parappaduwa Nuns' Island . . 20 December 2020 . 4 November 2023 . 26 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230326051725/https://island.lk/polgasduwa-island-hermitage-and-parappaduwa-nuns-island/ . live .
  11. Web site: Parappuduwa Nun's Island . Pivithuru Lanka . 4 November 2023 . 31 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231031043845/https://pivithurulanka.epizy.com/parappuduwa-nuns-island/ . live .

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