Natural Resources of the Area
Out of an area of 149 Sq. kms, an area of 108 Sq. kms are considered to be much suitable for local agriculture. The rest of the area is dense with forest reserves, bare lands, water bodies and buildings.
The topography of the area takes the form of a plateau made up of hills and ridges. This plateau gradually rises towards the north and the west. While west part of Nilwala River is 800 feet above the sea level, the highest peak of the Heendalkattu range is 1300 feet from the sea level which is at the western border of the division. The mountain is separated by the flowing streams of the Hulangdawa River, Digili Ela and the West bank tributaries of Nilwala River. Some of them, especially the Northern part of Digili Ela, flows along steep slopes and narrow valleys. But the lower areas have become wide valleys which are now used for cultivation. However, there is a need for soil conservation programs to be implemented in the steep parts of the mountains.
The peaks on the eastern side of Nilwala river are generally low lying and do not exceed 500 feet in height. But the Urumuththa range located in the North-East rises up to a maximum height of 1415 feet. This is beneficial for Soil conservation programs although this is not as steep as the Western part. Nilwala River flowing between the north and the south divides the division approximately into two halves, and these two areas are generally low-lying. This low-lying area where the Nagahadola Ela and the Horagoda Nãpè Ela, which are tributaries of Nilwala river, meet and form the Thalahagamaara haupe valley, which serves as the main area for cultivation.
Although Nilwala River flows through a deep valley in most of the areas, it tends to overflow in the areas towards the South, such as in Athuraliya and in Paraduwa. The Western tributaries of Nilwala River, Digili Ela and Hulangdawa river are considered to be the main drainage pattern of the division.
The smaller tributaries, namely Nagahadola Ela and Horagoda Nãpè Ela connect to this water drainage system. Similarly, in the East, Welihena and Oliyangan Kalè Reserve and Hali-Ela Lake are nurtured by the Kiramba Aara. Apart from the above mentioned rivers, there are several internal reservoirs in the division. While part of Hali-Ela Lake belongs to this division, other water bodies such as Maramba lake, Oluwara lake, Lenabatuwa lake, Ambanwela lake, Udalathanawala lake too belong to this division. Even though these do not pose much benefits as desired, efforts have been made to introduce fresh water fish farming in these rivers.
The rainfall and temperatures of this area is similar to that of a wet lowland zone. Average annual rainfall ranges from 2500 mm (98.4) in the south to over 3500 mm (137.3) in the northwest. The distribution of average rainfall in Hali Ela can be shown in two parts. About 30% of the rainfall occurs in April and June, with longer periods of drought once in a while. This should be managed in a manner to support water supply for paddy cultivation.
There are mainly two types of soil in the division. In the highlands, there are permeable acid red-yellow podzolic type of rocks. Although these are not naturally very fertile, the use of fertilizers enhances fertility. In some hills, a crusty layer which prevents moisture retention and inhibits root growth is formed on the top soil. The soil becomes hard and turns into rocks due to the less draining of water from the hill slopes into the soil.
The red-yellow podzolic soil can be used for rubber and tea cultivation although it is not naturally very fertile. Further, alluvial soil which has proven to be useful for paddy cultivation is seen to be formed due to the water draining to the low lying valleys. The Akuressa Division is densely covered with forests. There are several main reserve forests in the area and the largest forest reserve is the Dediyagala reserve forest located in the North West.
