Skalice (river)

Skalice
The Skalice in Varvažov
Location
Country	Czech Republic
Regions	Central Bohemian South Bohemian
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, Brdy Highlands
• elevation	678 m (2,224 ft)
Mouth
• location	Lomnice
• coordinates	49°24′57″N 14°8′55″E
• elevation	354 m (1,161 ft)
Length	52.3 km (32.5 mi)
Basin size	374.9 km^2 (144.7 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1.45 m^3/s (51 cu ft/s) near estuary
Basin features
Progression	Lomnice→ Otava→ Vltava→ Elbe→ North Sea

The Skalice is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Lomnice River. It flows through the Central Bohemian and South Bohemian regions. It is 52.3 km (32.5 mi) long.

Etymology

The name is derived from the Czech words skála and skalnatý ('rock', 'rocky') and refers to the character of the river bed.^[1]

Characteristic

The Skalice in Březnice

The Skalice originates in the territory of Rožmitál pod Třemšínem in the Brdy Highlands at an elevation of 678 m (2,224 ft) and flows to Varvažov, where it enters the Lomnice River at an elevation of 354 m (1,161 ft). It is 52.3 km (32.5 mi) long. Its drainage basin has an area of 374.9 km² (144.7 sq mi).^[2]

The longest tributaries of the Skalice are:^[3]

Tributary	Length (km)	Side
Hrádecký potok	14.8	left
Mlýnský potok	12.0	right
Zalužanský potok	9.9	left

Settlements

The most populated settlement on the river is the town of Rožmitál pod Třemšínem, in which territory the river originates. The river further flows through the municipal territories of Věšín, Chrást, Březnice, Nestrašovice, Počaply, Myslín, Mirovice, Horosedly, Nerestce, Čimelice, Rakovice, Smetanova Lhota, Ostrovec and Varvažov.

Bodies of water

There are 529 bodies of water in the basin area. The largest of them are the fishponds Hejný with an area of 20.6 ha (51 acres) and Nerestec with an area of 20.1 ha (50 acres).^[2] Several fishponds are built directly on the upper course of the Skalice, in the area of Rožmitál pod Třemšínem.^[4]

Protection of nature

The spring and the first kilometres of the Skalice are located within the Brdy Protected Landscape Area.

Bridges

Stone bridge in Mirovice

The river is bridged by three historic stone bridges. There is a four-arch inundation bridge in Mirovice, built in 1870–1876. Its original southern part has not been preserved, but it is still valued for its architectural and structural qualities.^[5]

The three-arch bridge in Nerestce was built in 1814–1816 on the site of an older bridge. It used to be decorated with valuable Baroque statues of saints from the mid-18th century. Today, the statues are in the depository of the municipality of Čimelice. In 1963, a new reinforced concrete bridge was built next to the historic bridge and the importance of the old bridge decreased.^[6]

The two-arch bridge in Varvažov was built in 1781. It is decorated with a small chapel dedicated to Saint John of Nepomuk.^[7]

See also

• List of rivers of the Czech Republic

References

1. Šmilauer, Vladimír. "O původu názvů českých řek". Naše řeč (in Czech). Institute of the Czech Language. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
2. "Základní charakteristiky toku Skalice a jeho povodí" (in Czech). T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
3. "Vodní toky". Evidence hlásných profilů (in Czech). Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
4. "Povodňový plán města Rožmitál pod Třemšínem: Vodní nádrže". Elektronický digitální povodňový portál (in Czech). Retrieved 2024-10-03.
5. "Inundační most" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
6. "Silniční most se sochami" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
7. "Silniční most s kapličkou sv. Jana Nepomuckého" (in Czech). National Heritage Institute. Retrieved 2024-10-03.

External links

• River flow at Varvažov station – Flood Warning and Forecasting Service of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute