Aliyar Reservoir is a 6.48 km² (2.5 sq mi) reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 located near Pollachi

Pollachi

Pollachi is a taluk of Coimbatore Rural district of the Tamil Nadu state of India. It lies in the southern part of the Coimbatore city around 40 kilometres from downtown Coimbatore. This is the second largest town in the District after Corporation of Coimbatore. Owing to the proximity to the...

 town in Coimbatore District

Coimbatore District

Coimbatore District is one of the more affluent and industrially advanced districts of the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Coimbatore is known as the Manchester of South India. It one of the most industrialized towns of Tamil Nadu. It has the highest GDP among the districts of Tamil Nadu, even ahead...

, Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...

, South India

South India

South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...

. The dam is located in the foothills of Valparai

Valparai

Valparai is a hill station in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu,India. It is located 3,500 feet above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats, at a distance of 100 km from Coimbatore and 65 km from Pollachi.There are 40 hairpin bends on the way to Valparai from Azhiyar...

, in the Anamalai Hills of the Western Ghats

Western Ghats

The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...

. It is about 65 kilometres (40.4 mi) from Coimbatore. The dam offers some ideal getaways including a park, garden, aquarium, play area and a mini Theme-Park maintained by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Corporation for visitors enjoyment. The scenery is beautiful, with mountains surrounding three quarters of the reservoir. Boating is also available.

History

The Aliyar Dam was constructed during 1959-1969 across the Aliyar river

Aliyar

Aliyar is one of the tributaries of the river Kannadipuzha. Kannadipuzha is one of the main tributaries of the river Bharathapuzha, the second-longest river in Kerala, south India.- See also :*Bharathapuzha - Main river...

, mainly for irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

 purposes. The project was commissioned in September 2002 to generate Hydro Electric Power

Hydropower

Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...

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Hydrography

Aliyar lake receives water from Upper Aliyar Reservoir through the hydroelectric power station in Navamali and the Parambikulam

Parambikulam

Parambikulam is located in the Palakkad district of Kerala state, south India. Established in 1973, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Sungam range of hills, sprawling over 285 km². It is at a distance of 135 km from Palakkad town and is situated adjacent to the Indira Gandhi...

 reservoir through a contour canal. Aliyar dam, built as a part of Parambikulam aliyar project (PAP), retains a large reservoir.. The dam is around 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) in length.

The lowest level outlet of the reservoir is 930 feet (283.5 m) above Mean Sea Level (MSL) and the canal intake is 980 feet (298.7 m) above MSL. The spillway

Spillway

A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...

 is 1040 feet (317 m) above MSL and the FRL (Full Reservoir Level) is 1050 feet (320 m) above MSL. The maximum surface area is 48 hectares (118.6 acre) (1,600 acres). The volume of water at FRL is 3.864 Tmcft

Tmcft

Tmcft, , , , is the abbreviation for one thousand million cubic feet , commonly used in reference to volume of water in a reservoiror river flow.-Conversion:1 tmcft. is equivalent to:...

 (88705 acre.ft). The maximum depth is 41 metres (134.5 ft) and the mean depth 16.8 metres (55.1 ft) . The volume development is 1.2 m. The highest inflow usually occurs during July and August. The shoreline is poorly indented, the shore development is poor and shallow and the Aquatic plant

Aquatic plant

Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...

s and limnology of the littoral zone is also very limited.

Fisheries

Ailyar reservoir was studied by the Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CFRI) for eleven years from 1982 to 1992. The rate of energy conversion at primary producer level and at the fish production level at Aliyar is considered higher than in any other Indian reservoir. The indigenous

Indigenous (ecology)

In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...

 fish of the reservoir includes 40 species belonging to 13 families, plus seven stocked species

Hydel Power Project

This project consists of a series of dams interconnected by tunnels and canals for harnessing the waters of the Parambikulam, Aliyar, Sholiyar, Thunakadavu, Thekkadi and Palar rivers, flowing at various elevations, for irrigation and power generation. The scheme is an outstanding example of engineering skill. At present, the discharges are being let down through three sets of slucies/ canals, viz., Pollachi Canal, Vettaikaranpudur Canal and the river sluices. Under this scheme, the irrigation discharges let down through river slucies of the Aliyar Dam utilized for power generation in a power house at the toe of the dam. Being a micro hydel scheme, this project is subsidized by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy sources, Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

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Visitor information

Aliyar dam is a popular tourist destination. Near Aliyar dam are some visitor attractions including a park, garden, aquarium, play area and a mini Theme-Park maintained by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Corporation for visitors enjoyment. The scenery is beautiful, with mountains surrounding three quarters of the reservoir. Boating is also available. Ambarambalayam Darga is situated nearby on the banks of the Aliyar River .Overnight stay is possible in the forest rest house. A treetop house provides accommodation for the adventurous.