STREAMS OF JÁCHYMOV
Introduction
There has long been considerable confusion regarding the names of the streams in and around Jáchymov. Their designations change, overlap or are sometimes omitted entirely. This is not a recent issue; inconsistencies are already evident in historical map surveys.
Four main watercourses are associated with Jáchymov: the Jáchymovský Stream, the Veseřice, the Stísněný Stream and the Suchá.
Historical Nomenclature
On old maps – including the Second Military Survey – the streams are usually recorded, if at all, as Joachim Thaler Bach and Weseritz. The name Weseritz is often applied to the stream flowing from Klínovec (Keilberg).
To complicate matters, some maps distinguish between Weseritz A and Weseritz B, with the combined flow marked as Joachim Bach. Elsewhere, Weseritz is used for the entire course from Klínovec to Ostrov.
Cartographers evidently knew that several streams flowed through the area and were aware of their names, but their assignment was not always precise. This rather liberal labeling has had lasting consequences.
Present Situation
The inconsistency continues today. Different online mapping portals, the Ohře River Authority and the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute use varying names. However, when considering the most common usage and hydrological logic, the situation becomes relatively clear.
Jáchymovský Stream
The principal watercourse is the Jáchymovský Stream. It rises above the town, formerly fed the municipal pond known as Jezírko, and then flows – today largely underground – through the town. Below Jáchymov it continues through Mlýnské Valley toward Ostrov, where it joins the Bystřice near the town’s polyclinic.
Klínovec Stream, Veseřice and Stísněný Stream
In the spa district, the Klínovec Stream flows into the Jáchymovský Stream. It rises on the slopes of Klínovec, passes the lower cable car station and below it receives the Veseřice.
The Veseřice originates beneath Neklid and is a right-bank tributary of the Klínovec Stream.
Another right-bank tributary is the Stísněný Stream. It rises in peat bogs near Boží Dar, passes beneath the road near Jahodina and flows along the slope of Mount Dub toward Můstek. From there it continues beneath the former Bratrství mine before joining the Klínovec Stream.
The Suchá
The final significant stream within the town’s territory is the Suchá. It springs from the slopes of Černá skála above the settlement of Suchá, flows through it and then reaches Jáchymov. It runs around the former Panorama mine and the entire Šibeniční Hill.
In Mlýnské Valley it becomes a left-bank tributary of the Jáchymovský Stream. At their confluence once stood a mill with a paper factory; today the restaurant U Vlčků occupies the site.
Conclusion
Although the naming of the streams around Jáchymov has long been inconsistent, their hydrological relationships are clear. The Jáchymovský Stream forms the main axis into which mountain tributaries from the Klínovec area, Boží Dar and Černá skála flow. Together they have shaped not only the landscape but also the mining and industrial history of the town for centuries.
