Vranov Reservoir drought exposes remains of submerged Bítov village

Low water levels in the Vranov Reservoir due to drought have once again exposed the remains of the submerged village of Bítov. Visible structures include house foundations, stone cellars, and wall remnants.

Radek Špatka from Povodí Moravy reported that the reservoir is currently filled to approximately 30 percent, with the water level at 338.34 meters above sea level. This is significantly below the ideal storage level of 348.45 meters. While levels have dropped in previous dry years like 2017 and 2018, the current situation is lower than those periods.

The village was flooded during the construction of the dam in the early 1930s, forcing over 400 residents to relocate. Historically, the village church remained a tourist attraction until it was demolished for safety reasons in the 1960s.

Currently, the average outflow from the reservoir is approximately three cubic meters per second, which is half of the typical summer outflow used for irrigation. Officials noted that outflow cannot be reduced further due to the necessity of maintaining minimum water flow and meeting non-seasonal water demands downstream.