Lázbérc Reservoir

The Lázbérc Reservoir is one of the largest reservoirs in Northern Hungary, created by enlarging the Bán stream in order to supply the water needs of the Sajó Valley industrial region (Ózd and Kazincbarcika) and to provide drinking water to the surrounding settlements. The artificial lake with a water volume of 6.2 million m³ plays an important role in the life of the area. Its area is part of the Lázbérc Landscape Protection Area established in 1975, which is the first protected region of its kind in Northern Hungary.

Construction

The construction works of the reservoir began in 1967. At the same time as the basin was formed, a valley dam 170 metres wide at the base, 250 metres long and 19 metres high was built, for which 250 thousand cubic metres of earth were moved. The water‑side of the dam, covering an area of 10 thousand square metres, was paved with 120 thousand concrete slabs. In 1969 the 22‑metre‑high water‑withdrawal tower system was erected, the flood‑gate equipment was installed, and the reservoir was filled. Since 1970 the reservoir has been operating continuously, and clean drinking water reaches the Borsod regional water supply system via the Bán‑stream purification plant.

Because of the reservoir, the section of the national road that connects Dédestapolcsány with Bánhorváti, which bypasses the Láz‑bérc valley with a large curve and leads toward Uppony, was submerged, so a new road had to be built across the mountain ridge between the two settlements. The new 4½ km section was completed by the summer of 1969. Travel between Dédestapolcsány and Uppony was also possible through the Láz‑bérc valley; this connection ceased to exist because of the reservoir, and the later built service road – which links the two settlements along the blue sign – is closed to public traffic.

Location

The Y‑shaped artificial lake, surrounded by picturesque, steeply descending forested mountain slopes in the Upponyi Mountains, covers 77 hectares between Uppony and Dédestapolcsány, continuing the Upponyi Pass, within the highly protected area of the Lázbérc Landscape Protection Area belonging to Bükki National Park, at an elevation of 200 metres above sea level. On the Uppony side of the reservoir, steep rock faces, scree slopes, as well as caves (including the Upponyi 1st stone cell) and characteristic “stone mushrooms” can be seen.

Administratively it lies in the western part of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County (the former Borsod County), near the northeastern tip of Heves County. It belongs to the districts of Kazincbarcika and Ózd.

Catchment area

The Lázbérc Reservoir’s 211.7 km² catchment gives rise to the following streams: Bán, Baróc, Boroszló, Csernely, Eskerenna, Gizslír, Mehelycső, Nagyvölgyi, Sátai, Szána, Szilvás, Szalajka, Taró-völgyi and Úszó.

Settlements

The villages in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir are: Bánhorváti, Borsodbóta, Dédestapolcsány, Lénárddaróc, Mályinka, Nekézseny, Sáta, Uppony.

Flora

The surrounding forests consist mainly of oak woods (cser oak, branchless oak) and beech woods. Galagonya, field maple and stormy‑mountain ash are also common. The vegetation on the northern (shaded) and southern (sun‑exposed) slopes of the Upponyi Gorge differs markedly: the former is forested, the latter is characterized by rocky screes and scree slopes, offering a landscape view similar to the Tordai Gorge in Transylvania.

Fishing, fish population

The lake is also popular as a recreational area, although swimming is prohibited, but shore fishing – subject to a permit, seasonal and time‑of‑day restrictions – is possible. The reservoir hosts a significant population of the following fish species: carp, amur, catfish, gar, roach, pike, stone loach, crucian carp, bleak, bream, sunfish.