Dlouhá Stoka Channel
500-year-old water leat
The main mineral of the Slavkovský les Mts. is tin. In the 16th century, the expanding mining operations required more and more water to power mining and processing mechanisms and wood that was used as mine support, for firesetting, for charcoal production and also as fuel.
In order to increase the water supply to the Slavkov Valley and to transport wood from the Kynžvart forests, a more than 20 km long artificial leat called Dlouhá Stoka was constructed. Ten fishing ponds are also part of the canal network.
The actual Dlouhá Stoka Channel was originally about 2 m wide and 1 m deep. Later on (in the 20th century), it was partially narrowed by backfill. Today, the Dlouhá Stoka Channel belongs to the most important hydraulic structure in the whole Europe.
