Nilwala River

The Nilwala is a river in Southern Province in Sri Lanka. It originates in Sinharaja Forest Reserve^[1] 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.^[2]

Nilwala River
Location
Country	Sri Lanka
Physical characteristics
Source	Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Mouth
• location	Matara
• coordinates	5°57′N 80°32′E
Length	72 km (45 mi)
Basin size	922 km2 (356 sq mi)

The river is 72 km (45 mi)^[1][3] long and has a drainage basin of 922 km² (356 sq mi).^[4]

Tributaries

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