About Pyasachnik Dam

Pyasachnik Reservoir is located on the Topolnitsa River in central Bulgaria, in the foothills of the central Sredna Gora mountain range in Plovdiv Province. Completed in 1977 with a capacity of 206.5 MCM, it is one of three reservoirs on the Topolnitsa River — together with Stamboliyski downstream and Topolnitsa upstream — that form a cascade for water supply and irrigation management in the upper Maritsa catchment. Pyasachnik's primary purpose is irrigation water supply to agricultural areas in the Pazardzhik and Plovdiv regions, supplemented by contributions to municipal water supply. The Topolnitsa River drains a predominantly agricultural and forested catchment in the northern flanks of Sredna Gora, receiving moderate precipitation with a spring peak corresponding to snowmelt from the higher elevations. The reservoir is situated in a broad valley with rolling hills on all sides, and its shores are bordered by mixed oak and riverine vegetation. Pyasachnik is a popular recreational destination within easy reach of Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second city, offering fishing, boating, and picnicking facilities. The reservoir also provides a degree of flood regulation for the Topolnitsa valley, attenuating peak flows during the high-rainfall months of November through March.