Negombo Lagoon
Encyclopedia
Negombo Lagoon is a large estuarine lagoon
in Gampaha District
, south-west Sri Lanka
.
The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers and a canal
. It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel
to the north, near Negombo
town. It is surrounded by a densely populated region containing rice paddies, coconut
plantations and grassland
. The land is used for fishing
and agriculture
. The lagoon has extensive mangrove swamps and attracts a wide variety of water bird
s including cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls, terns and other shorebirds.
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
in Gampaha District
Gampaha District
- Local Authorities in Gampaha district:Gampaha is the District Capital of Gampaha District and is a principal town around Colombo. It is about 4 km from Miriswatte on the Colombo - Kandy Road.- Urban Councils :* Katunayake-Seeduwa * Ja-ela* Wattala...
, south-west Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers and a canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
. It is linked to the sea by a narrow channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
to the north, near Negombo
Negombo
Negombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
town. It is surrounded by a densely populated region containing rice paddies, coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
plantations and grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
. The land is used for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The lagoon has extensive mangrove swamps and attracts a wide variety of water bird
Water bird
The term water bird or waterbird is used to refer to birds that live on or around water. Some definitions apply the term especially to birds in freshwater habitats, though others make no distinction from birds that inhabit marine environments. In addition, some water birds are more terrestrial or...
s including cormorants, herons, egrets, gulls, terns and other shorebirds.