Ponds Under Power Lines in the Rokycany Region Become Home to Rare Newts and Toads

In a forest between Teškov and Holoubkov in the Rokycany region, new ponds have appeared along a three-kilometre clearing beneath a high-voltage power line — and rare, protected amphibian species have already made themselves at home there. The news was shared by Miluše Ježková, an ecologist with ČEZ Distribuce.

The 17-metre-wide clearing, which the company is legally required to maintain, had long been a headache for power engineers: in warm weather, machinery would get stuck in the soft ground, making it almost impossible to reach the pylons. It was precisely this hard-to-access stretch that specialists chose for their experiment, after reaching an agreement with the landowners — the Colloredo-Mansfeld family — and carrying out a zoological survey of the area. The results exceeded all expectations.

A unique oasis amid the heat

The shallow ponds, with gently sloping banks and water up to one metre deep, have attracted amphibians and insects, while birds and forest animals come here to drink. According to David Fišer, a zoologist at the Mining Museum in Příbram who monitors the site, a place like this is a genuine rarity amid the current heatwave: most similar habitats nearby have already dried up completely over the past two months.

"We hit the mark exactly. The site sits on completely waterproof ground, and it's the only body of water like this in the area — possibly for many kilometres around," Fišer said.

Five protected amphibian species

The new ponds are now home to five species of specially protected amphibians all at once: agile and common frogs, toads, thousands of smooth and alpine newts, and several hundred yellow-bellied toads — an endangered species of European conservation importance. The site is also home to the great silver water beetle, the largest aquatic beetle in the world, along with several interesting dragonfly species.

"Along a roughly 300-metre stretch, an important breeding site for amphibians and aquatic insects has emerged," the zoologist noted.

How the new ponds were created

Work began just before Christmas last year, following an agreement with the landowners and thanks to 300,000 crowns provided by the ČEZ Foundation. An experienced excavator operator dug three ponds with a combined area of 600 square metres: one large pond and two smaller ones of 150 square metres each. Tree stumps and logs were left nearby, and two additional shallow depressions were dug to form puddles that amphibians need for breeding.

"The goal was to bring back natural elements to the landscape that had disappeared over the decades," Ježková explained. The landowner is now responsible for maintaining the ecosystem. Going forward, the company plans further stages of the project with the help of Swiss grants: together with the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, it intends to expand the ponds, plant suitable vegetation, create flowering areas for pollinators, and install birdhouses and shelters for reptiles.

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Source: ekolist.cz