Reservoir in Poland Praised for Blocking major Flooding

A reservoir in Poland built to prevent flooding is being praised for doing its job well after major floodwaters hit the area.

The anti-flood reservoir, called the Lower Raciborz Reservoir, sits on the Oder River. It is near the Polish cities of Opole and Wroclaw.

The project was first imagined in 1997, when the “flood of the century” hit the two cities, causing major damage. Work was completed on the water body in 2020.

Over the past week, heavy rains have created major floodwaters across central Europe. Officials in Poland have struggled to keep waters from flowing out of the Oder River into nearby communities. The Associated Press reported the flooding across central Europe killed at least 24 people.

But people living in Opole and Wroclaw are now crediting the reservoir with saving the areas from severe flooding and destruction. Locals told the AP that the reservoir successfully flattened a huge wave created by the flooded Oder.

Some people who remembered the 1997 flood disaster watched carefully to see whether the newly finished reservoir would effectively do its job. And it did.

The reservoir's performance led to some public attention on social media. Some individuals gave the water body honorable names. These included “National Hero,” "King of Gold” and "Raciborz Reservoir the Great.” Other social media messages suggested the reservoir should be named after Poland's famous football goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The anti-flood reservoir was built following lessons learned from the severe flooding of 1997. The project took about $520 million to build. Part of the money came from the European Union and World Bank. Two villages had to be resettled to complete the reservoir.

When it opened in 2020, the water body covered 26 square kilometers of wildland. It can hold up to 185 million cubic meters of floodwater.

People living in Opole and Wroclaw said the Oder reached extreme heights. But, they said, the reservoir caught the floodwaters. Water never flowed out into the streets.

Some areas not covered by the reservoir system suffered heavy flooding.

Last week, European Union chief Ursula van der Leyen promised the EU would provide billions of dollars in aid to affected communities in Central Europe. Among other nations suffering severe flood destruction are Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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reservoir – n. a large natural or manmade lake used as a source of water supply

lesson – n. an experience that teaches you something