Flood polders of Military Forests and Estates tested by torrential rains, they meet purpose and protect local residents

The flood polders, i.e. flood water retention basins, built across the watercourses in the Levočské Hills by SVK Military Forests and Estates SOE (VLM) have once again protected local residents from floods wreaking havoc in northeastern Slovakia. Heavy torrential rains have swept across the area, resulting in high river water levels. The area has received 55mm of rainfall in the past two days alone. For instance, the flood polder on the Ľubická River was filled up to 85% of its flood water retention capacity, in other words, it detained 87,000 m³ of water. The situation has been monitored uninterruptedly by Director General of Military Forests and Estates Ján Jurica and his team.

On the flood alleviation scheme, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “I want to thank all those who have done their bit in building these flood polders. Over the past days, their importance has been fully confirmed by the developments in many places across Slovakia, which makes me believe that the effort and work our Military Forests and Estates have put in will be appreciated by our citizens from the locations adjacent to the Levočské Hills. Thanks to them, they have been able to sleep peacefully over these past rainy nights.”

In 2015, VLM constructed a total of 11 flood polders and introduced a network of 230 technical and biotechnical measures on the rivers and streams across the former Javorina Military District, including the Ľubica Stream, Ruskinovský Stream, Jakubianka River, Kolačkovský Stream, Lomnický River, Lomnický Stream, Holumnický Stream, Ihla Stream, Poľný Stream and Škapová River.

After heavy rainfalls, VLM conducts inspection and site maintenance operations with the use of its own assets, removing debris-flow deposits and sediments so as to keep the storage volume of the retention basins as large as possible, as well as removing the floating debris that can prevent the accumulated flood water from passing through the polder’s overflow channel (spillway).

Director General of SVK Military Forests and Estates SOE Ján Jurica stresses that we have not seen the 2010 flood events repeat themselves thanks to the network of flood polders and technical and biotechnical measures in place. “Their operation and maintenance is immensely demanding, but the benefits they bring when retaining flood waves from torrential rains and high amounts of precipitation are incalculable for local residents. However, given the worsening climatic circumstances and the growing risk of floods, this network will have to be supplemented by additional polders and biotechnical measures in the future,” he said.

SVK Military Forests and Estates SOE has plans to construct additional flood water retention reservoirs. The investment is divided into two stages. Stage 1 will see six flood polders constructed on the Ľubica River and Stage 2 ten flood polders in the Levočské Hills. The projects will be co-funded from EU funds and from the budget of the MOD-owned organisation.