6. Dams and ponds

There are in total 24 340 water reservoirs and fishponds within the territory of the Czech Republic, holding a total volume of 4,159 million m3. Out of this number, there are 115 large reservoirs (in the year 2000), with a total volume of 3,521 million m3. The construction of the dams in the Czech Republic has been particularly intensive in the second half of 20th century, when the largest dammed lakes were built. In the year 1945, there were only 41 dam reservoirs in Czechoslovakia, in the year 1975 their number increased to 100 only in the
Czech Republic. Nowadays, the number of large water reservoirs is approximately 115.

The dam reservoirs have wide spectrum of uses and for the most part they are multifunctional. The most important uses are:
  • water supply for the local population (for example w. r. Švihov on Želivka River, main source of drink water for Prague)
  • water supply for the industry and energetics (w. r. Hněvkovice, providing cooling water for Temelín nuclear power plant)
  • water power production (w. r. Orlík, with biggest peak water power plant)
  • flood protection (w. r. Šance, w. r. Morávka in Beskydy Mts.)
  • discharge regulation and retention of the water in the landscape (Vltava cascade - serie of water reservoirs on the Vltava River)
  • irrigation (w. r. Rozkoš in NE Bohemia)
  • other uses (including fish-breeding, ship transportation and sports and leisure activities).

fishpond areas
Fig. 1. Fishpond areas. Dot size indicates summed hectarage of fishponds per grid square of 3 × 5 geographical minutes. (Source: Chytrý, 2012).