Jeziorsko Reservoir

In summer the water level at Jeziorsko can drop by as much as 5.5 metres, exposing wide muddy shallows in the southern part of the reservoir. For people that is a drawback; for birds it is a feeding ground. More than 250 species have been recorded around the reservoir, including cranes, cormorants, ruffs and several kinds of geese. Jeziorsko on the Warta River, sometimes called the "Sieradz Sea", is the largest body of water in the Łódź region and a well-known birdwatching site in central Poland.

History: a man-made sea

The idea for the reservoir dates from the early 1960s, and construction began at the turn of 1975 and 1976. Around a thousand people from 400 farms were moved out of the valley that was to be flooded – some went to the towns, others were given land elsewhere. The reservoir came into service in 1986, and its construction cost around a billion złoty at the time.

Jeziorsko covers about 42 km² and holds more than 200 million m³ of water. It stretches from the town of Warta in the south to Skęczniew in the north, where the main dam carries regional road 478 along its crest and houses a hydroelectric plant with an output of 4.89 MW. Two side dams close off the valleys of the Pichna and Teleszyna streams. The reservoir's main purposes are flood protection and regulating the flow of the Warta, with power generation and recreation coming second.

The reserve and the birds

The southern part of the reservoir is the "Jeziorsko" ornithological reserve, created in 1998, and the whole lake and its surroundings form the Natura 2000 Special Protection Area PLB100002. When the water drops in autumn, large flocks of migrating waders and waterbirds feed on the exposed lake bed. That is the best time for birdwatchers, although there is activity on the shallows from spring to late autumn.

Things to do at Jeziorsko

• Viewpoints on the edge of the Warta valley on both sides of the reservoir – especially popular at weekends.
• A footpath from the town of Warta along the eastern shore, roughly halfway up the reservoir.
• Cycling – you can ride all the way round, and the route is longest when the water is high.
• Kayaking – a trip down the Warta with nature and engineering stages; at the dam there is a portage of at least 600 m.
• Sailing and beaches – a marina and kayak hire in Pęczniew, a beach at Zaspy Miłkowskie and a sailing centre in Kościanki.

Tripto tip

For birdwatching, come in late summer or autumn when the water is at its lowest, and bring binoculars or a spotting scope plus footwear that can cope with mud. Do not enter the reserve away from marked routes and do not approach flocks – disturbed birds waste energy they need for migration. For a lakeside holiday, choose one of the villages with resorts and bathing areas, such as Pęczniew or Kościanki. Allow a full day for a cycling loop, and two to three hours for a walk with binoculars and a viewpoint.