Vydra Hydroelectric Power Plant
A unique hydroelectric power plant was built below Black Lake in the mid-20th century. You can learn about the history and present state of this facility, as well as the use of the Šumava’s water resources, in the permanent exhibition “Šumava Energy.”
After logging was curtailed, the importance of the nearby Vchynice-Tetov Canal declined, so alternative uses were sought. In 1937, construction began on the new Vydra hydroelectric power plant, which went into operation two years later. The design was created by Ing. Karel Kosek, who had already developed the technical design for a pumped-storage power plant below Černé Lake in the 1920s. The entire complex actually begins at the navigation canal near Mechov (Mosau), where the intake structure has been preserved. From there, the water flows through an underground conveyance system (partly a pressure pipeline, mostly a masonry canal) with a total length of 3.2 kilometers to the storage reservoir near the village of Sedlo. The reservoir was built so that water could be stored there during periods of lower demand on the power grid and then used to generate electricity during peak demand periods. From the reservoir, the water flows through a pipeline to a nearby reinforced concrete tower called the “Water Castle.” In the event of a turbine malfunction, the water inflow can be shut off remotely from the power plant. The water then flows through an underground pipeline to the power plant on the banks of the Vydra River. The permanent exhibition is open to the general public year-round.
