Český svaz ochránců přírody (ČSOP) is an organisation of nature conservationists that coordinates, in cooperation with the state enterprise Povodí Vltavy, the rescue of freshwater mussels on the shores of the Slapy Reservoir.
Český svaz ochránců přírody (ČSOP) is an organisation of nature conservationists. In connection with the fall in the water level of the Slapy Reservoir, ČSOP is coordinating the rescue of rare freshwater mussels and is working with volunteers and with the state enterprise Povodí Vltavy.[1][2]
Rescue of freshwater mussels at Slapy
The water level of the Slapy Reservoir is falling because of hydrological drought. ČSOP launched the website csop.cz/zachran-skeble and introduced a booking system for 19 selected locations. On the basis of an expert opinion from the Czech Academy of Sciences, it identified the most critical places, where the largest occurrence of mussels is expected.[1][2] Volunteers are to walk the shores at least every other day and return the mussels to the water. ČSOP calls for the rescue to continue during the week as well and offers the option of supporting the campaign through a fundraiser, the proceeds of which are to cover coordination and the most necessary costs of securing critical sections.[1][2]
According to a report of 3 October 2026, volunteers returned more than 60,000 mussels to the water, and more than 400 volunteers took part.[2] ČSOP later announced that the number of returned mussels had exceeded 70,000 and that more than 520 volunteers had taken part.[1]
Zuzana Kučerová of the association also said that the fall in the water level had exposed a population of millions of the invasive zebra mussel, which threatens native species. Petr Stýblo of ČSOP said that the outcome of the rescue depends on when the water level starts to rise again.[1]
Chronology
- — Nature conservationists and volunteers returned more than 70,000 freshwater mussels to the water on the shores of the Slapy Reservoir, whose water level is falling because of hydrological drought. → Czech News Agency / České noviny Ekolist.cz
Sources
- ČTK / České noviny — 7 October 2026
- Ekolist.cz — 3 October 2026