Drama in front of tourists. Polish lake getting closer to the “dangerous border”
Rainfall provided temporary relief, but did not help for long. The water level in Lake Klimkowski is alarming.
The view of Lake Klimkowskie becomes more and more disturbing from week to week. The reservoir, which is one of the greatest attractions of the Low Beskids, is clearly losing water, and further fragments of the bottom are being exposed along the banks. In some places you can even see the remains of old roads and areas flooded during the construction of the reservoir. Although spring rainfall brought a temporary improvement, it was not enough to stop the decline in water levels.
Lake Klimkowskie disappears and there is no rainfall
According to data quoted by “Gazeta Krakowska”, there are currently approximately 5.17 million cubic meters of water left in the Klimkówka Reservoir (Klimkowskie Lake). This is very close to the level of 5 million, which, if exceeded, would be another clear signal of a deepening drought. In spring, after periods of more intense rainfall, the amount of accumulated water was more than twice as high. Back then, everyone still hoped that the trend would be reversed and the famous attraction would return to its former glory.
The situation is made worse by the fact that Klimkówka is fed by the Ropa River, and its flow decreases quickly during long periods without rain. Locally occurring storms cannot change this. Unfortunately, regular and long-lasting rainfall over a much larger area would be needed to significantly restore the lake level.
A problem for tourism, but not only
The low water level in Klimkówka is important primarily for the region’s water management. The reservoir has an important retention function and helps both during droughts and heavy rainfall. At the same time, its condition obviously affects the tourist attractiveness of the surrounding area and the entire Beskid Niski Mountains. The weather in September and October is expected to be crucial. As “Gazeta Krakowska” writes, if autumn does not bring more rainfall, the amount of water in the reservoir may drop below 5 million cubic meters.
