A Coastal wetland of Natural origin located in the Dry Zone of the North-Western province. The Mundel ?Lake ? is in fact a shallow brackish water lagoon fringed by mud flats, salt marshes and remnants of mangrove stands which is connected with the Puttalam estuary at the northern end through the Dutch canal. The lagoon is completely cut off from the sea by a narrow sandbar at Udappuwa and the high salinity level of the wetland is maintained due to high evaporation and low rainfall. The wetland is an important feeding ground for migratory birds. The lagoon and its environs consist of a straight coastline with wide beaches, berms and sand dunes. Old raised dune ridges, mud flats, salt marshes and degraded mangroves border the eastern margin of the wetland. The sand dunes from Deduru Oya mouth northwards consist of a series of medium sized dunes 10-15 m in height, which are active and migratory. The dominant birds include cormorants (Phalacrocorax niger , P. fuscicollis) and egrets (Mesophoyx intermedia, Egretta garzetta), while migratory water birds include waterfowl such as Anas querquedula and waders such as Tringa stagnatilis and T. nebularia. The threatened mammal Lutra lutra has also been recorded from the site. The common mangrove species include Avicennia officinalis, Lumnitzera racemosa, Excoecaria agallocha and Clerodendrone inerme. The salt marsh vegetation includes Sueda maritima and Salichornia brachiata.

Mundel Lake Related references