although the river arises only 80 kilometres from the arabian sea, it flows 1,465 km to empty into the bay of bengal. just above rajahmundry there is a dam that provides water for irrigation. below rajahmundry, the river divides into two streams that widen into a large river delta which has an extensive navigable irrigation-canal system, dowleswaram barrage that links the region to the krishna river delta to the southwest.