The principles and criteria in projecting any water management work having governed the water management experts also in the past. Review of water management constructions built in Slovakia and the impact thereof on the environment.
According to the economic program of the past-war industrialization, a water management and energy system should have been built in Slovakia, from the Vah river cascade from Madunice to Krpelany, which was preceded by the construction of the Orava dam. In the sixties, in connection with the problem in supply of drinking water to the population, it was inevitable to build the water reservoirs in Hrinova (1965), Klenovec (1974), and Bukovec (1976). Further development of the national economy led to building large water management and power constructions, as the Liptovska Mara water reservoir (1977), the pumping water power station on Cierny Vah (1983), and construction of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Water Works.
Intensive urbanisation, and also extension of production in agriculture and industry resulted in construction of multipurpose water reservoirs, adjustments of rivers and hydromeliorating constructions as Nitrianske Rudno, Motova na Slatine, Velka Domasa, Ruzín, Sirava pod Vihorlatom, Ruzina, Teply Vrch, Kralova, and Velke Kozmalovce.
In order to ensure water resources for supply of water to the population and industry, the following water reservoirs were commissioned: Starina, Nova Bystrica, Malinec, and Turiec, and the water dams: Zilina Water Works and Selice. The consequences of construction of these water works are evident in three areas. The first represents the economically measurable material effect (protection against floods, supply of water to the population, industry and agriculture, production of electric energy, cheap water transport, most acceptable for nature). The second area, as a direct consequence of extensive building interventions, means the change of the original natural conditions, and occurs in the biotic and abiotic area. The third area represents the superstructural human elements.
In order to make the water management construction in accord with the landscape environment, optimum proportionality of the dimensions of the construction and its functional use should be determined in relation to the natural resources and antropogenised systems in the surroundings thereof.
The current legislation covers the issues of the investment construction by the Parliamentary Law of the Slovak Republic No. 127/94 Coll. on assessment of effects on the environment. IN addition to assessment of the effect of a construction on the environment, it is inevitable to review also the economic interactions.
P. SYKORA - In: Water Management Bulletin. - Year 43, No. 4(2000), p. 6-7.
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