When was Udawalawe Dam built?

The Udawalawe Dam was built between 1964 and 1969. The goal was to support farms, provide water for irrigation, and also generate hydroelectric power. Later, the dam became part of the Walawe River basin project. During the work, the Udawalawe Reservoir was created.

Once the reservoir was in place, land around it was declared a national park in 1972. Officials did this mainly to protect animals that had been forced to move. It was also meant to protect the water supply.