Turning the tide: How man-made forest ponds are bringing water back to the landscape
Where land was once drained, water is now being held back. Forest managers in Western Bohemia are reversing decades-old practices by creating ponds and wetlands designed to retain moisture and support a more diverse forest landscape.
The landscape around Rokycany has seen significant changes in recent years. Foresters are creating new ponds to help keep water in the landscape as drought and rising temperatures put pressure on local ecosystems. Eleven have already been completed and more are in the pipeline, so as to retain as much water in the landscape as possible.
Stanislav Suda, head of the Rokycany Municipal Forests says fighting drought has become one of the big priorities in recent years.
"The construction of this pond took about ten days. We made use of the natural conditions, as the area was muddy and trees were being uprooted. Nothing much would probably have grown here anyway. This is our eleventh pond, the newest one. And we are just waiting to fill it up.”
Forest management as a whole is changing in the region. In the past, it was completely normal for forests and agricultural land to be drained within “land improvement” projects. Given the weather conditions of recent years, the goal is now the exact opposite — to keep water in nature wherever possible.
According to foresters, there is no fixed rule for how deep a man-made pond must be to prevent it from drying out. The ones around Rokycany are about 20 metres long, 12 metres wide, and roughly 2 metres deep. Forest managers are also trying to avoid areas, which dry out rapidly, and are planting more suitable tree species.
Suda says the landscape changes need to be complex and carefully considered.
"The changing climatic conditions also affect the rest of our management practices. We plant oaks, beeches, firs and larches to maximise diversity and improve the chances that the trees will grow and stay healthy." he says.
In the future the area will be able to rely on a network of these man-made water reservoirs.
Suda points out other locations being considered for future ponds.
"We have already identified two more sites. We would like to create one or two new ponds every year. But it depends on funding, because both the ponds and local roads need to be maintained," Suda notes.
Gradually the scenery is changing. Alders have been planted around some of the ponds, with several wooden benches put in place –making it an inviting stop for the locals or people hiking in the region.
In addition to the 11 ponds built to retain water, the Rokycany forest management has also incorporated a wetland into the landscape.
Turning the tide will not happen overnight, but with every new pond and wetland, foresters around Rokycany are giving water a better chance to remain in the landscape and the forest and local inhabitants a better chance to adapt to a fast-changing climate.
