The water level of the Vranov Dam near Znojmo in the South Moravian Region has fallen to 338.34 metres above sea level because of drought. After years, the water has again uncovered the remains of the village of Bítov, which disappeared under the surface when the dam was built. House foundations, stone cellars and remnants of walls are visible.[1][2] According to Radek Špatka of Povodí Moravy, the reservoir is about 30 percent full.[1]
Comparison with earlier levels
Špatka described a level of 348.45 metres above sea level as ideal, roughly ten metres higher than now. This is the level of the storage space, which the reservoir has not reached for a long time in recent years, and so, he said, it is not possible to state simply by how many metres the level is below normal.[1] At the peak of the dry years 2017 and 2018 the level fell to 338.64 metres above sea level, slightly higher than now. The lowest recorded levels date from 1964 and 2010, when the level reached 335 metres and 337.16 metres above sea level respectively.[1][2] The remains of the village were also visible in 2017 and 2018.[1][2]
Outflow from the reservoir
The average outflow from the dam is currently about three cubic metres per second, half of the summer values, which reached up to six cubic metres per second because of irrigation needs.[1][2] Špatka said that the outflow follows the valid operating rules and cannot be reduced substantially, because a minimum amount of water must remain in the watercourse and other withdrawals of water below the reservoir must be ensured outside the season.[1][2]
History of Bítov
The dam was built in the early 1930s. More than 400 residents then moved to a newly built village above the reservoir. Only the church remained standing in the area; for a long time it was a destination for tourists on boats, because it was possible to sail around it. In the 1960s it was blown up for safety reasons.[1][2]
Related articles: Bítov, South Moravian Region, Vranovská přehrada
Chronology
- — Because of drought, the water level of Vranov Dam near Znojmo in the South Moravian Region has fallen to 338.34 metres above sea level, exposing the remains of the flooded village of Bítov. Ekolist.cz iDNES.cz: Brno
Sources
- Ekolist.cz — 5 October 2026
- iDNES.cz: Brno — 5 October 2026