Sharāvati is a river which originates and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka in India. It is one of the few westward flowing rivers of India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats. The famous Jog Falls, located in Sagar, is formed by this river. The river itself and the regions around it are rich in biodiversity and are home to many rare species of flora and fauna.

Origin and topography

thumb|left|Sharavati River

The river Sharavati originates at a place called Ambutheertha in the Thirthahalli taluk. According to ancient legend, Rama, one of the major deities in Hinduism, shot at the ground with his Ambu (translates to bow and arrow) because his wife, Sita, was thirsty. When his arrow hit the ground, water poured out (translates to Thirtha) and quenched her thirst. Because the river, according to the legend, originated with this event, the river is called "Sharavati" as "Shara" translates to arrow.

The total length of the river is around and it joins the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district. On its way, the Sharavati forms the Jog Falls where the river falls from a height of 253 m. The river is dammed at Linganamakki; the portion of the river above the dam is upstream and the remaining is downstream. The major tributaries of the river are Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole. Four soil orders are found in the upstream river basin: ultisols, alfisols, inceptisols and entisols.

Gerusoppa dam

The Gerusoppa dam project was completed in 2002 with the main purpose of generation of electricity. It was constructed near the Gerusoppa village in the Uttara Kannada district. It has a height of 56 metres and a length of 545 metres.

The Power House on the right bank of the Gerusoppa dam consists of four Francis-type turbines coupled to the generating units of 60 MW each. The units are configured to operate at a design head of 47.5 m. An outdoor switchyard is located between the toe of the dam and the power house. Power from the outdoor yard is evacuated through a 220 kV double circuit transmission line connected to the state grid at Talaguppa.

The Gerusoppa Project is a KPC project and the Civil Chief Engineer at the time of completion of the project was K L Krishnamurthy. This is one of the projects constructed by R. N. Shetty under the name Naveen Mechanised Construction Company Private Limited. The Present Chief Engineer (Electrical) is Shivaji . The main power house was constructed by Mr.Chinna Nachimuthu.

Waterfalls

Jog Falls

Jog Falls is the highest waterfall in India if the single drop water fall and the volume of water are considered for height. Otherwise, it is the third highest waterfall in India (after Kunchikal Falls and Barkana Falls); all three are located in Shivamogga district. The Sharavati river plunges 253 meters (830 ft) into a deep gorge here in four different segments called as Raja, Roarer, Rocket and Rani. The volume of water that reaches Jog Falls is controlled upstream by the Linganamakki dam, and the falls are at their mightiest when water is released from the dam.

Flora and fauna

thumb|The endangered [[lion-tailed macaque found in the Sharavati Valley wildlife sanctuary]]

The Sharavati river basin is rich in biodiversity. In a survey conducted in the basin, 23 amphibians belonging to the families of Bufonidae, Ichthyophiidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae and Rhacophoridae were recorded. Of these, 15 species are endemic to the Western Ghats. The river lends its name to the following species of fish that have been discovered in its waters:

  • Batasio sharavatiensis: A bagrid catfish discovered near Jog Falls, Uttara Kannada district.
  • Schistura sharavatiensis: A fish species discovered in Sharavati river near Algod, Shimoga district.

In 2011, two new species of diatoms were discovered from Hirebhaskeri Dam of Sharavati River.

Sharavati Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

thumb|View of Sharavati Valley

A part of the Sharavati river basin was declared as a wildlife sanctuary on 20 April 1972. Spread over an area of , it has dense evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Linganamakki reservoir, with an area of , is a part of this sanctuary. The remaining area has been divided into core zone (74.33&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.), buffer zone (170.67&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) and tourism zone (57.53&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).