situation problem
At the beginning of the 1990s, it was planned to build a dam above the Rusyn municipality of Tichý Potok in the basin of the Torysa River. The dam was intended to supply the population of Košice and Prešov with drinking water. We have carried out a number of pilot projects in this area in cooperation with other conservation associations in Slovakia, and we have set up several camps under the name Blue Alternative. The dam was supposed to solve the drought problems, but we found a better and more effective way.
Goal of the Project
The aim of our project was to create water resources by retaining rainwater in a damaged ecosystem. The rainwater would then infiltrate into the soil and geological structures, create groundwater reserves and eventually emerge in the form of springs.
Solution
For the solution, we were inspired by the publication Permaculture by Bill Mollison from Australia and his principle of slowing down stormwater runoff from higher ground to lower ground, so that it has a chance to soak in and replenish the groundwater supply.
Implementation
The dikes were able to capture rainwater in a single pass, which was then absorbed into the soil to form springs and streams. Thanks to this micro-project, we were able to create a water source even in the driest season.
Results
Total water-holding capacity of the dikes approx. 83m3
New water springs that exist so far
Vegetation restoration
The Blue Alternative Spring did not dry up even during the worst drought (3 months without rain in spring 2009), while the other water bodies dried up
Widespread use in damaged, arid landscapes anywhere where it rains heavily at least once a year
Thanks to the blue alternative, several villages did not have to be resettled, for which Mr. Kravcik was awarded the Goldman Prize
Other Implementations
Slovak landscape and Watershed Restoration (2010-2012)
Slovak Integrated Landscape and Watershed Restoration 2010-2012 by Richard Widows The article was originally published in 2015 by Jan Lambert in the Valley Green Journal Special Book Edition...
Revitalisation of Dúbrava village
The village of Dúbrava in the Spiš region (Slovakia) suffered from the siltation of sediments from water erosion, which resulted in deteriorated hydrology of small watercourses in the cadastre of...
Flood Protection System in Hlohovec
In the town of Hlohovec (Slovakia) there were regular floods due to improper ploughing of agricultural land. The town requested a project aimed at reducing erosion directly on agricultural land and...
Tatras Botanical Garden
The Botanical Garden of the Tatras High Mountain Flora in Tatranská Lomnica (Slovakia) suffered from artificially planted high mountain Tatra flora, which could not develop sufficiently due to the...
Dykes in Jarovnice
The village of Jarovnice in eastern Slovakia was hit by catastrophic floods. In 1998, they claimed the lives of 49 children. The state subsequently invested more than EUR 4 million in regulating the...
Biodiversity Restoration in Rajec
In Slovakia, the structure of the agricultural landscape changed significantly in the second half of the last century. Industrial agricultural production took off, drying out farmland over a period...
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