Orlík Reservoir

Orlík Reservoir
View from Zvíkov Castle
Orlík Reservoir
Coordinates49°36′21.6″N 14°10′51.6″E / 49.606000°N 14.181000°E / 49.606000; 14.181000
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsVltava River, Otava River
Primary outflowsVltava River
Catchment area12,105 km2 (4,674 sq mi)
Basin countriesCzech Republic
Max. length68 km (42 mi)
Surface area27.32 km2 (10.55 sq mi)
Water volume703.8×10^6 m3 (570,600 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation354 m (1,161 ft)

The Orlík Reservoir (Czech: Vodní nádrž Orlík) is the largest hydroelectric dam in the Czech Republic. It dams the Vltava River near the village of Solenice, which is near the town of Příbram. The structure is named after Orlík Castle, which is situated a few kilometers above the dam. The dam has four turbines with a nominal capacity of 91 MW each[1] having a total capacity of 364 MW.

Construction

Preparatory construction work for the future Orlík water reservoir began as early as 1954, even before the project was officially approved by the government of the time. During construction, over 1,500 workers rotated daily, and the project claimed two lives. The resulting artificial lake necessitated the removal of 14 mills, a large number of sawmills, and 650 residential and farm buildings.[2] A long railway siding from Tochovice was built specifically for the construction of the dam.

Structurally, the dam was completed and officially put into operation on 22 December 1961,[3] eight months ahead of the scheduled completion date. The last (fourth) turbine of the hydroelectric power plant was commissioned on 10 April 1962.[4]

Sources

  1. ^ Orlik Hydro Power Plant
  2. ^ "Co vše zatopila přehrada?". 14 dní – regionální čtrnáctideník (Písek a okolí) (in Czech). 15 September 2008. p. 2.
  3. ^ "Orlík hlásí: Hotovo!". Rudé právo (in Czech). 23 December 1961. Retrieved 2024-05-22.
  4. ^ "Vodní dílo Orlík" (in Czech). ČTK. Retrieved 2024-05-22.

See also

  • List of dams and reservoirs in the Czech Republic
  • List of lakes in the Czech Republic
  • Media related to Orlík Reservoir at Wikimedia Commons