Restoration of springs - retention of water in the landscape directly at the source

Principle investigator: Karel Prach
Application guarantor: Administration of the Šumava National Park
Funding provider: Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA ČR)
Grant number: SS07010037
Duration: 2024-2026

The mountains and highlands of the Czech Republic are important spring areas that generate most of the watercourses in the country. Springs are an extremely important hydrological structure with a significant impact on the water regime of the landscape. At the same time, they are distinct biotopes populated by specific species and communities that significantly enrich the biodiversity. A large number of spring areas were reclaimed in the second half of the 20th century, with the original streams being straightened, deepened, and converted into a network of drainage channels. In addition, drainage channels and piped drainage systems were used to remove water from the soil profile across large areas. Typical spring biotopes and their hydrological and other ecological functions were thus largely degraded or completely destroyed.

There is a lack of experience with the restoration of drained springs in the Czech Republic and worldwide. The project brings innovative findings that can be immediately used in public administration in the field of the environment. It aims to describe the signs of spring degradation due to drainage, scientifically evaluate the impact of revitalization measures on the restoration of key components of biota (higher plants, mosses, aquatic invertebrates, and fungi), determine whether revitalization stabilizes the water and thermal regime of springs and the chemistry of surface runoff, and thus evaluate the success of the implemented technical measures.

Main result: Unified methodology on how to monitor restoration success through the perspective of different organism groups and water chemistry.