Spoutan eka – Zrozen Orlick pehrady Fry Josef (2020)

This Czech-language book explores the story of the Orlk Reservoir, the largest Czech structure of its kind by the volume of water it holds. Czechia faces long periods of drought alternating with sudden local floods, and some experts see the construction of new reservoirs as one way to reduce their negative effects. Yet the most recent reservoirs in the country were built two decades ago, while the largest are more than half a century old, so fewer people now understand what building such a project involves or how it transforms the landscape and the lives of local residents. Through numerous unique historical and contemporary photographs, including aerial images taken by drone, the book traces the reservoirs history. It begins with the first plans to dam the Vltava River, describes the construction in detail from preparing the supporting facilities to completion, and also covers the catastrophic flood of 2002, subsequent repairs, and planned modernization. It is published in cooperation with the EZ Group and the state-owned Povod Vltavy enterprise.