Ticha Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Ticha Reservoir is a reservoir in Varbitsa Municipality
, Shumen Province
, northeastern Bulgaria
, located to the north and northeast of the town of Varbitsa
. It is one of the largest lakes of Bulgaria. The Ticha Dam is located in the northeastern part of the reservoir, in the southeastern part of Kotel Mountain.
The reservoir lies along the Golyama Kamchia River, one of the two rivers that merge to form the Kamchia. Before entering the reservoir, the river gathers waters from the hilly Gerlovo
region. The name of the reservoir is derived from the medieval name of the Kamchia: the Ticha.
According to some measurements, it is the third-largest reservoir in Bulgaria. By design, the Ticha Reservoir is used mainly for irrigation
; the total area which the reservoir can irrigate is 32918 hectares (329.2 km²). The Ticha Reservoir's total volume amounts to 311800000 cubic metre. The construction of the reservoir meant that two villages, Vinitsa and Staroselka, were depopulated and flooded; their commons now lie within the reservoir.
The dam overflowed in July 2005 and July 2010, threatening the surrounding villages and land. Due to this, the water level of the reservoir is closely monitored and dykes have been built. Unlike the 2005 flood, which caused significant damage in the village of Byal Bryag, the 2010 overflow did not lead to floods in the neighbouring populated places.
In February 2010, the tap water
in Shumen
, which comes from the Ticha Reservoir, was declared unsuitable for drinking as a result of the presence of E. coli strains.
Varbitsa Municipality
Varbitsa Municipality is a municipality in Shumen Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, located in the vicinity of the northern slopes of the Eastern Stara planina mountain to the area of the so called Fore-Balkan...
, Shumen Province
Shumen Province
-Religion:Religious adherence in the province according to 2001 census:-Transportation:Shumen lies on the main route between Varna and Sofia and is served by numerous trains and buses serving the city. The city is also very well connected with Istanbul which serves the large Turkish community in...
, northeastern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, located to the north and northeast of the town of Varbitsa
Varbitsa (town)
Varbitsa is a town in eastern Bulgaria, part of Shumen Province. It is the administrative centre of Varbitsa Municipality, which lies in the southwestern part of Shumen Province. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,585 inhabitants....
. It is one of the largest lakes of Bulgaria. The Ticha Dam is located in the northeastern part of the reservoir, in the southeastern part of Kotel Mountain.
The reservoir lies along the Golyama Kamchia River, one of the two rivers that merge to form the Kamchia. Before entering the reservoir, the river gathers waters from the hilly Gerlovo
Gerlovo
Gerlovo or Gerilovo is a small geographic and ethnographic region in Northern Bulgaria, a hilly fertile valley in the northeastern Balkan Mountains, south of the Ludogorie region...
region. The name of the reservoir is derived from the medieval name of the Kamchia: the Ticha.
According to some measurements, it is the third-largest reservoir in Bulgaria. By design, the Ticha Reservoir is used mainly for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
; the total area which the reservoir can irrigate is 32918 hectares (329.2 km²). The Ticha Reservoir's total volume amounts to 311800000 cubic metre. The construction of the reservoir meant that two villages, Vinitsa and Staroselka, were depopulated and flooded; their commons now lie within the reservoir.
The dam overflowed in July 2005 and July 2010, threatening the surrounding villages and land. Due to this, the water level of the reservoir is closely monitored and dykes have been built. Unlike the 2005 flood, which caused significant damage in the village of Byal Bryag, the 2010 overflow did not lead to floods in the neighbouring populated places.
In February 2010, the tap water
Tap water
Tap water is a principal component of "indoor plumbing", which became available in urban areas of the developed world during the last quarter of the 19th century, and common during the mid-20th century...
in Shumen
Shumen
Shumen is the tenth-largest city in Bulgaria and capital of Shumen Province. In the period 1950–1965 it was called Kolarovgrad, after the name of the communist leader Vasil Kolarov...
, which comes from the Ticha Reservoir, was declared unsuitable for drinking as a result of the presence of E. coli strains.