Country Sri Lanka Status Operational Owner Ceylon Electricity Board | Purpose Power Type of dam Gravity dam Impound Kehelgamu Oya | |
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Location Norton Bridge,
Central Province Opening date December 1950 (1950-12) Similar Maskeliya Dam, Bowatenna Dam, Kalu Ganga Dam, Udawalawe Dam, Rambakan Oya Dam | ||
The Norton Dam (also sometimes called the Norton Bridge Dam) is a small gravity dam built across the Kehelgamu Oya, which is a major tributary to the Kelani River. The dam is built at Norton Bridge, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka.
Contents
Map of Norton Dam, Nortonbridge, Sri Lanka
Reservoir and power station
The dam creates the relatively small Norton Reservoir, which is sustained by water from the Kehelgamu Oya, and water discharged from the Wimalasurendra Hydroelectric Power Station, which is located at the upstream side of the reservoir. The Wimalasurendra Power Station or the Norton Bridge Power station is fed from the reservoir at Castles Reigh about 2000 feet above the Norton Reservoir.
Water from the Norton Reservoir is further channelled through a Tunnel through the rock strata and then by a couple of steel pipes penstock to the Old Laxapana Hydroelectric Power Station, located 3.8 km (2.4 mi) downstream at 06°55′07″N 80°29′30″E, 1.5 km (0.9 mi) northwest of Kiriwan Eliya. The power station consists of five hydroelectric generators, three of which are rated at 8.33 MW, and two of which are 12.50 MW. The first three and last two units were commissioned in December 1950 and December 1958, respectively.