situation problem
The soil was unable to retain water, resulting in no vegetation growing on the land, which led to an increased risk of flooding. Rainwater ran off without benefit and damaged the ecosystem through intensive erosion.
In February 2005, the Košice Parliament approved a strategic document for water protection in the Košice conurbation as a prevention against floods, drought and climate change. The aim of the protocol was to strengthen the retention of rainwater in the urban landscape.
Solution
The main idea of the project was to retain rainwater and thus create suitable moisture conditions for optimal growth of new vegetation. This species diversity will later take over the function of retaining rainwater, which would otherwise run off without benefit and the ecosystem would remain damaged. The aim of the innovative solution was to gradually restore the vegetation and its species diversity in the area.
Implementation
In November 2005, the project was put into practice. The so-called contour strips were implemented on a 3ha site. These strips can retain rainwater at one time, approximately 300,000 litres of water. In the first years of the project, the strips were regularly filled with rainwater. The water was subsequently absorbed and later evaporated.
Results
Restoration of dried soil
Meadow vegetation improvement
Restoration of erosion-damaged ecosystems
Diversity and variety
Protected tennis complex from annual heating
13
Years
60k m3
Retained rainwater
200k m3
Evaporated water during a summer day
The idea of stormwater retention at the site has reached its full potential.
Other Implementations
Slovak landscape and Watershed Restoration (2010-2012)
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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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