Žehuň pond
Do you like waterfowl and its natural habitat? Then be sure to visit the Žehuň Pond, the largest pond in the Central Bohemian Region. You can find it between Poděbrady and Chlumec nad Cidlinou near the village of Žehuň. It is 5.5 km long, 6 m deep and the water area occupies 258 hectares. It was built on the river Cidlina in the 15th century as a royal pond, in the 16th century it was repaired according to the instructions of Jakub Krčín from Jelčany, a well-known builder of many South Bohemian ponds. It has been protected since 1948.
Information for visitors
Interesting facts Žehuň pond
National natural monument Žehuňský rybník
Žehuňský rybník is an important reserve for aquatic plants and waterfowl. The subject of protection is both the pond itself and the reed stands and the surrounding peat meadows. The pond is flowing, fish farming is semi-intensive. There are also endangered species of plants and animals. There are no official hiking trails, so there is an ideal environment for endangered and protected species.
Flora and fauna of Žehuňský pond
In the open water you can find yellow sedges, several species of rdest, surrounding bumblebee, arrowhead, followed by reeds and meadows, where you can see, for example, peat bog, buttercup, snake tongue, sedges, tadpoles or mud dandelions. Rare animals include pond clams, tree frogs, the Common Frog, the Toad, and the Great Spotted Woodpecker. Waterfowl is represented by a rattlesnake or Bukáček, a bearded tit and a sea eagle flies here for food.
Negative effects also affect the pond
The pond has a problem with a large increase in reeds, which cannot be reduced. However, deforestation in the surrounding areas, poaching, cormorants and their scaring, as well as significant water level fluctuations, also have a negative effect. The advantage is difficult access to the whole territory. The road leads only in the north, towards the train station, from the south side there are accessible meadows from the solitude of Korca.
Author: Helena Syslová