__NOTOC__ The Nilwala is a river in Southern Province in Sri Lanka. It originates in

Sinharaja Forest Reserve Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a forest reserve and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO. According to International Union for Conserv ...

and discharges into the sea at Matara. There is no consensus on how this river got its name. It is believed that the river got its name because, in the past, the river's water was very pure blue and flowed like a blue cloud. The Nilwala River was mentioned as Neelavahini and Neelawalanadi River in ancient sources. The most straight forward meaning is 'blue bearer,' 'Blue River. The river is long and has a

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

of .

Tributaries

* Kotapola Oya * Urubokke Oya (Diversion) * Hulandawa Oya * Siyambalagoda Oya

References

{{Inland waters of Sri Lanka Bodies of water of Matara District Bodies of water of Ratnapura District Rivers of Sri Lanka