Maduru Oya National Park was established in 1983 to protect the catchments area of the vast Maduru Oya Reservoir and irrigation dam and four smaller reservoirs. Much of Maduru Oya’s predominantly low lying terrain was previously used for slash and-burn or Chena cultivation. Most of the reservoir now boundary covered open grasslands and secondary vegetation due to that reason.

The Maduru Oya National Park is also located near the Maduru Oya Dam. There are a few rocky mountains in the southwest corner reaching elevations. Usual range of fauna can be seen here, various species of monkeys and different types of deer, abundant bird life, the rare sloth bears and even leopards. So much of elephants, at least during the dry season, when up to three hundred of them you could be count.

Maduru Oya Reservoir constructed in the year 1982 is one of the major reservoirs constructed under the Mahaweli Accelerated Development Progrmme. But one of the most important features here is the ancient earthen dam and sluice gate built during the time of King Mahasena in 277 to 304 AD.