JÁCHYMOV – gateway to the Ore Mountains

Introduction
Among the remarkable achievements of earlier generations in the Jáchymov area are structures that are not immediately visible or whose importance has faded over time. One of the most significant is the extensive water-management system connected with mining. Water was literally the lifeblood of the mines and related industries. It powered hoisting mechanisms, pumps and equipment used to wash, crush and process ore. To make this possible, water had to be captured, stored and carefully distributed across the landscape.

Thanks to the ingenuity of historic builders, water did not simply flow through the valley but was directed so that almost every drop performed work. The landscape above Jáchymov still preserves traces of reservoirs, channels and water adits forming a complex technical network.

Historical system
Several important reservoirs date back to the silver-mining period, especially the Stadtteich, Seidl pond, Heinz pond and Moritz pond. From them spread a network of channels, pipelines and ditches supplying individual mines. Just as the area around Boží Dar and Horní Blatná has the Blatenský canal, Jáchymov had its own system of reservoirs and water adits.

The hill known as Velký Turecký vrch (Šance) is riddled not only with mining remains but also with water adits. Some of them carried water from the Neklid area towards the Svornost mine. These include the Gegenbau adit on the eastern slope and the Dürrenschönberger adit below the Stadtteich. Part of this roughly four-kilometre system was also the Wasserlaufstollen, serving as an underground water reservoir north of the Gegenbau adit. Some of these structures still serve water-management purposes today.

Water also powered industry beyond the mines. Between Jáchymov and Horní Žďár it drove mills, sawmills, paper works, wire works and an amalgamation plant.

Reservoirs

Stadtteich (Town Reservoir)
Founded in 1552 according to plans by mayor Anton Reiss and Jakub Genes, it served as a major water supply for the mines. Together with the Seidl and Heinz reservoirs it supplied about 97,400 cubic metres of water annually, with a distribution network nearly 7.6 kilometres long.

The dam failed on 29 April 1593, causing serious flooding in the town and requiring complete reconstruction. Repairs followed again in 1631. In 1930 the site was turned into a municipal bathing area with a forest restaurant and boat rental. After 1945 it became known as Jezírko. The dam broke again in spring 1981 and was not rebuilt.

Located about four kilometres upstream, it supplied first the Hohe Tanne mine and later Svornost, with surplus water draining through the Daniel adit.

Seidl Reservoir
Situated on the Eliáš stream, sometimes called the Špičák reservoir. Although founded in the 16th century, its present form dates from a reconstruction in 1758 related to the deepening of the Svornost mine.

Heinz Reservoir (Horký)
Located in the Eliáš valley and founded in the mid-16th century. A preserved stone outlet supplied the Eliáš shaft and later the Werner (Rovnost) mine. Water was led through the Wassereinlass adit to the Barbora level. Nearby channels collected rainfall, including the well-preserved Kunstgraben.

Moritz Reservoir
The name “Mrtvý” does not refer to water quality but to a disused mining structure.

Two additional reservoirs once existed near the Bratrství adit, and further dams and channels were planned in the wider area.

Water routes
Several routes carried water through the region, forming a cascade system in which the same water powered multiple installations over kilometres.

From the Town reservoir, water flowed to the Vysoká jedle mine and onward to Svornost, driving water wheels and pumps on different levels. From the Heinz reservoir, water travelled via the Kunstgraben and water adit to turbines and pumping systems at Eliáš, Barbora and Svornost, before draining through the Daniel adit beneath today’s spa roundabout.

The longest system served the Kaiser Josef mining field, extending about eight kilometres and supplied by the town stream, springs and the Unruhe adit, connected to the Gegenbau and Dürrenschönberger water adits.

Hereditary adits
Hereditary adits connected mines and drained groundwater, remaining maintained even when mining stopped. Typical dimensions in Jáchymov were about 2.8 by 1.2 metres.

The Daniel adit drained much of the district and later carried radon water to the spa area until replaced in 1961 by the Curie adit. The Barbora adit, begun in 1518, became one of the largest mining works of its time. Other drainage adits included Georg, Šlik and Bratrství. A modern replacement system, Nová Svornost, was driven between 1979 and 1983.

Present day
Today, the remains of the Jáchymov water system form an important technical heritage landscape. Even where structures have disappeared, traces of reservoirs, channels and adits remain visible and testify to the remarkable engineering skill of historical mining communities.