Kamenička Reservoir, reservoir

Kamenička Reservoir is a large water storage system in Blatno created by a curved stone dam across a valley. The dam stretches about 150 meters long and rises over 30 meters high, with outlets designed to manage water flow and prevent flooding.

Chomutov's council commissioned the dam after a plan for a reservoir on the Chomutovka was rejected for lack of water; Otto Lueger's assessment led to the Kamenička site. The Vienna firm G. A. Wayss & Cie built it from 1899 to 1904 with 700 to 1,000 workers, mostly from Croatia and Italy. It was first named the Emperor Franz Joseph Valley Dam.

The reservoir was originally named the Emperor Franz Joseph Valley Dam, reflecting its connection to the Austro-Hungarian era. Today it stands as a technical monument that shows how people engineered water security for their communities over a century ago.

Visitors can walk on designated trails around the water and enjoy views of the dam and surrounding landscape. Access to the dam itself and the water is restricted to protect both visitor safety and water quality.

The intake tower draws drinking water at three levels, 2.5, 6.5 and 10 metres above the reservoir bed, so the cleanest layer can be tapped as the water stratifies. A bypass channel on the left bank diverts poor-quality water around the reservoir, and the Dieterova štola adit carries peat-bog runoff into the Chomutovka during snowmelt and heavy rain.