Chalakudy River
| Chalakudy River (ചാലക്കുടി പുഴ) | |
| River | |
 85 species of fresh water fishes, Among these, 35 are endemic species in Chalakudy River.
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| Country | India |
|---|---|
| States | Kerala, Tamil Nadu |
| Tributaries | |
| - right | Karappara River, Kuriarkutty Aar, Peruvarippallam Aar, Thunacadavu Aar, Sholayar River |
| City | Chalakudy town |
| Source | Anamalai Hills |
| - location | Kerala/Tamil Nadu Border, India |
| - elevation | 1,250 m (4,101 ft) |
| - coordinates | 10°22′00″N 77°07′30″E / 10.3666°N 77.125°E |
| Mouth | Periyar River |
| - location | Puthanvelikkara, Kerala, India |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | 10°09′44″N 76°15′56″E / 10.162224°N 76.26558°ECoordinates: 10°09′44″N 76°15′56″E / 10.162224°N 76.26558°E |
| Length | 145.5 km (90 mi) |
| Basin | 1,704 km2 (658 sq mi) |
| Discharge | mouth |
| - average | 52 m3/s (1,836 cu ft/s) |
 Chalakudy River Basin Map
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Chalakudy River or Chalakudy Puzha is the fourth longest river in Kerala, India. The river flows through Palakkad district, Thrissur District and Ernakulam District of Kerala. The total drainage area of the river is 1704 km². out of this 1404 km² lies in Kerala and the rest 300 km² in Tamil Nadu. The length of the river is 145.5 km. Though Chalakudy river in strict geological sense is a tributary of the Periyar river, for all practical purposes it is treated as a separate river by Government and other agencies.
The river though has its origin in the Anamalai region of Tamil Nadu, is actually a collection of some major tributaries originated from Parambikulam, Kuriyarkutti, Sholayar, Karapara and Anakayam in Kerala.
Chalakudy River is the one of very few rivers of Kerala with relics of riparian vegetation in substantial level. The annual report of the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources Lucknow, mentioned that the Chalakudy River is the richest river in fish diversity perhaps in India. The riparian forests of the Chalakudy River have revealed the existence of a thick riparian vegetation of more than 10 metres width for a distance of 10.5 km downstream from Peringalkuth, covering an area of 58.5 hectares. Out of this, 26.4 hectares lie within the Vazachal area, including three large islands densely covered by riparian forests.The riparian forests of the area have been found to be characterised by the presence of typical riparian species of plants, in addition to evergreen and semi-evergreen species.Out of the 319 species of flowering plants identified from the study area, 24 are endemic species of the Western Ghats and 10 are rare and endangered.
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