The area at the confluence of the Morava and Dyje rivers has been officially designated as the Soutok Landscape Conservation Area as of today. It protects one of the most species-rich wetlands in Europe – a unique natural gem of international importance.
At the confluence of the Morava (March) and Dyje (Thaya) rivers, a new landscape conservation area was created today, 1 July: CHKO Soutok. The Czech government had already decided on the designation on 15 January, and it has now officially come into force. It is the 27th protected area of its kind in the Czech Republic – and one of particular ecological value.
Soutok – Czech for ‘confluence’ – is considered the largest complex of floodplain forests in Central Europe. With its unique combination of river branches, wetlands, ponds, meadows and forests, the area is of European significance. Parts of the area have already been protected for years under the international Ramsar Convention on the protection of wetlands. Now, the entire area is under comprehensive protection.
The biological diversity of the new protected area is impressive: around 900 plant species and numerous endangered animal species are native here – including the rare Danube crested newt and the majestic imperial eagle.
The designation of CHKO Soutok is intended not only to support nature conservation. The aim is also to stabilise the water balance in the region, revitalise wet meadows in Slovácko, combat invasive species such as mugwort, and prevent mosquito infestations. In light of increasing droughts and extreme weather events, floodplain landscapes such as these are also gaining importance in terms of climate protection.
The idea of protection is not new: the first nature reserves in what is now the protected area were established as early as 1949, including the Ranšpurk and Cahnov–Soutok National Nature Reserves. Since 1972, there have been repeated attempts to designate a large-scale protected area – and with today’s step, this goal has finally been achieved after decades.
Not everyone in the region welcomes the decision: some local stakeholders have expressed criticism and concerns about restrictions on economic use. However, the authorities emphasise that the protected status should be compatible with the interests of local communities.
