An Inland wetland of Man-made origin located in the Dry Zone of the North-Central province. Wahalkada Wewa is one of the largest ancient irrigation tanks, which was built approximately 1,500 years ago during the time of King Mahasen. The tributary of the Yan Oya brings water to the Wahalkada tank. The tank is perennial but large areas of the tank become dry in the dry season, thus exposing large areas of the tank bed. The aquatic vegetation of the tank comprises of phytoplankton and macrophytes (rooted, rooted with floating leaves and floating plants). The surrounding landscape comprises of degraded dry mixed evergreen forests, chena, paddy lands and home gardens. Furthermore patches of small Tectona grandis plantations can also be observed. The freshwater fish fauna is dominated by the exotic species (mainly Oreochromis spp.), while the endemic species include Clarias brachysoma and Puntius singhala. Common birds include Pelecanus philippensis, Mycteria leucocephala, Phalacrocorus fuscicollis and Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus. Herds of Elephas maximus visit the tank to fulfill their water requirements. Manilkara hexandara, Drypetes sepiaria, Schleichera oleosa, Pterospermum gardneri, Tectona grandis, Maba buxifolia and Flueggia leucopyrus are commonly found tree species around the tank. Among the floating aquatic plants, Nelumbo nucifera and Nymphaea stellata are noteworthy species.

Wahalkada Tank Related references