About Koprinka Dam

Koprinka Reservoir lies in the famous Rose Valley of central Bulgaria, on the Tundzha River near the town of Kazanlak in Stara Zagora Province. Completed in 1955 with a capacity of 142.2 MCM, Koprinka is historically notable as the reservoir that inundated the ancient Thracian city of Seuthopolis — capital of the Odrysian Thracian king Seuthes III — which now lies submerged beneath its waters. The reservoir provides irrigation water for the Rose Valley's renowned Rosa damascena cultivation, drinking water for Kazanlak and surrounding municipalities, and a degree of flood protection for the middle Tundzha valley. The Rose Valley's unique microclimate — protected by the Stara Planina to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south, with cool mornings and warm afternoons in May — is ideal for rose cultivation, and irrigation from Koprinka is essential to maintain this tradition. The reservoir is also important for tomato, grain, and other vegetable cultivation in the surrounding plains. Plans have periodically been revived to construct a glass dome over the submerged Seuthopolis site, which would allow the archaeological remains to be accessed while the reservoir continues to operate. Koprinka is part of the Tundzha cascade that includes Zhrebchevo upstream.