Lukácsháza Water Reservoir Completed14 October 2010
On Tuesday the water reservoir of Lukácsháza was officially opened; it was created from the 100% grant of the West Pannon Operational Programme.
The total value of this highlighted project is 2.8 billion HUF. As a result of this project, it will be possible to improve the quality of surface waters and to reduce the risks of flooding in the communities previously exposed to danger: Lukácsháza, Gyöngyösfalu, Gencsapáti, Szombathely, Balogunyom, Sorkifalud, Sorkikápolna and Zsennye. The construction of the reservoir provides a permanent solution for the flood protection of communities along the Gyöngyös Creek and Sorok-Perint. The floods that used to jeopardize the lives and properties of around 25,000 people will no longer occur.
The relevant area of 145 hectares is situated along Gyöngyös Creek, between Kőszeg and Lukácsháza. The 390,000 cubic metres of soil necessary for the construction of the barrage dam was extracted from a local borrow pit that has been recultivated to create a 25-hectare lake.
The reservoir will retain part of the arriving floodwaters; only as much water is released as can be drained in the bed of the watercourse below it, without overflow. From now on, the residents of communities situated along Gyöngyös Creek and Sorok-Perint will not have to live in constant exposure to flood, and restoration works costing several billion HUF will no longer be needed. In addition, in the future it will be possible to use and build in the current flood areas with safety. The implementation of this project will enable further developments in the current flood area, and it is related to the Perint revitalization programme, but it could also further enhance the touristic attraction of Kőszeg.
Since only a relatively small amount of water will be released from the reservoir, the stream channels can be left in their natural state, there is no need for the expansion and dredging of the beds.