The Castlereigh Dam (also spelled Castlereagh) is a
gravity dam built across the
Kehelgamu Oya, a major tributary to the
Kelani River
The Kelani River ( si, කැළණි ගඟ) is a 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 ...
, approximately south-west of
Hatton
Hatton may refer to:
Places Canada
* Hatton, Saskatchewan
England
* Hatton, Cheshire West and Chester, a former civil parish
* Hatton, Derbyshire
* Hatton, Lincolnshire
* Hatton, London, in the London Borough of Hounslow
* Hatton, Shropshire, a ...
, in the
Central Province of
Sri Lanka.
Reservoir and power station
The dam creates the iconic Castlereigh Reservoir, which is almost entirely maintained by the inflow of water from the Kehalgamu Oya. Water from the reservoir is diverted to the Wimalasurendra Power Station, located approximately further downstream at , near
Norton Bridge. The power station discharges the water into the Norton Reservoir, created by the
Norton Dam
The Norton Dam (also sometimes called the Norton Bridge Dam) is the gravity dam built across the Kehelgamu Oya, which is a main tributary to the Kelani River. The dam is built at Norton Bridge, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
Reservo ...
, located at the same site.
The power station consists of two 25-
megawatt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...
units, totalling the plant capacity to . Both units were commissioned in .
Water airport
The Castlereigh Reservoir is also home to the Castlereigh
Water Airport, registered under the
IATA code NUF.
See also
*
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 acco ...
*
List of power stations in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's electricity demand is currently met by nine thermal power stations, fifteen large hydroelectric power stations, and fifteen wind farms, with a smaller share from small hydro facilities and other renewables such as solar. Most hydroe ...
References
{{Inland waters of Sri Lanka
1965 establishments in Ceylon
Buildings and structures in Nuwara Eliya District
Dams completed in 1965
Dams in Sri Lanka
Gravity dams
Hydroelectric power stations in Sri Lanka