Stop the Water!

Authors

  • Agnieszka Sikora University of Silesia
  • Andrzej Woźnica University of Silesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31261/no_limits.2020.2.06

Keywords:

small retention, cascade ponds, water management, dammed reservoir

Abstract

Surface water is the water we should use. Groundwater as well as the waters of the glaciers and ice cap, in turn, should be an untouchable resource. In Silesia there is a so-called anthropogenic lake region with numerous water reservoirs created as a result of human activity. These are mainly reservoirs with dams, cave-ins, and ponds. Sustainable water management was present in this region since the Middle Ages. This shows that already in these time people were struggling with water shortages and saw the need to save this resource.  Particularly noteworthy are the systems of cascade ponds, which performed flood protection functions, as evidenced by the large share of dry reservoirs and dikes across the valleys of streams which slowed down the flow of water. These systems also played an important role as a reservoir for animal and plant species, which is why the ponds were used for fish farming. At present, small water reservoirs or domestic ponds have disappeared and have been replaced by large dam reservoirs. However, the reconstruction of cascade ponds may be a way to build much needed small retention systems in Silesia today.

Published

2020-09-21

How to Cite

Sikora, A., & Woźnica, A. (2020). Stop the Water!. No Limits, (2), 16–19. https://doi.org/10.31261/no_limits.2020.2.06

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Section

Artykuły