Lake Mucharz (Jezioro Mucharskie)

Lake Mucharz (Jezioro Mucharskie) is the youngest large reservoir of the Polish Carpathians. It lies on the Skawa river among the hills of the Beskid Mały, in the communes of Mucharz, Stryszów and Zembrzyce near Wadowice in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. Until 2018 it was known by its working engineering name, the Świnna Poręba Reservoir (Zbiornik Świnna Poręba), after the village where the dam stands. The name "Lake Wadowice" was also proposed, but some communes objected, and in December 2018 the name Jezioro Mucharskie, used by the commune of Mucharz since 2013, was officially adopted.

The lake fills a picturesque stretch of the Skawa valley about 11 km long, from Zembrzyce to Świnna Poręba. Its total capacity is 161 million m³, its maximum area 1,035 ha and its normal area about 820 ha. The normal water level is 309.6 m above sea level, the maximum 312 m. The dam, 54 m high and 604 m long, stands at kilometre 26.6 of the Skawa; the catchment above it covers 802 km². After the lake was filled, the massif of Jaroszowicka Góra and Wierzchowina on the right bank became even more clearly separated from the main ridge of the Beskid Mały.

Its construction is one of the longest in Polish hydraulic engineering. The first design dates from the 1950s and work began in 1986. In 1988–1992 the Wadowice – Skawce railway, which ran along the bottom of the future lake, was dismantled. Financial problems halted construction several times; during the 2010 flood the unfinished reservoir already held back up to 61 million m³ of water. The dam was formally opened on 10 October 2015, and completion of the construction was announced on 26 July 2017. The last family living on the bottom of the future lake in Skawce was resettled in 2016; parts of the dismantled railway bridge over the Skawa were to be used for a memorial cross. The 4 MW hydroelectric plant started on 2 March 2019, and filling of the main basin began in spring 2020. The lake protects the Skawa valley (including Wadowice) and the Vistula valley (including Kraków) from floods, sustains river flow in droughts and is a water reserve for Lesser Poland and Silesia.

What to see and do

• The dam at Świnna Poręba — a massive structure at the northern end of the lake with a view over the whole reservoir.
• The panorama from Jaszczurowa — national road 28 above the village of Jaszczurowa offers a view of the lake, Wierzchowina and Jaroszowicka Góra.
• The beach at Mucharz — a developed shore by the village of Mucharz.
• The railway bridge at Zembrzyce — an arched bridge over the southern part of the lake; the water is also well seen from the train window.
• Water recreation — according to the commune, the lake is to become a place for recreation and water sports; tourist facilities are still being developed.

How to get there

The lake is easiest to visit by car: the Wadowice – Sucha Beskidzka road runs along the valley, and the dam stands at Świnna Poręba south of Wadowice; the panoramic view is from road 28 at Jaszczurowa. From Świnna Poręba the green trail Andrychów – Groń Jana Pawła II – Świnna Poręba heads into the mountains: it climbs to Groń Jana Pawła II (890 m) with the PTTK hut on Polana Bargłowa and on to Leskowiec — one of the best viewpoints of the Beskid Mały, with views of Babia Góra and Pilsko. We found no official walking time from Świnna Poręba: it is a full-day hike with about 600 m of ascent. The Czesław Panczakiewicz Trail also passes nearby. Walks along the shore, to the dam and to the beach are easy and suitable for children.

Season and safety

The lake is open all year and free of charge. In summer the water police patrol it from a post at Świnna Poręba, checking boat equipment, the sobriety of helmsmen and their licences. We found no official swimming rules for the whole lake, so swim only at developed places such as the beach at Mucharz and keep away from the dam. The water level is regulated, so in droughts the banks are exposed (as in spring 2020). Emergency number: 112.

Nearby

• John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice — the museum in the Pope's birthplace, north of the lake.
• Sucha Beskidzka Castle (Little Wawel) — a castle south of the lake.
• Groń Jana Pawła II and Leskowiec — summits of the Beskid Mały west of the lake.

Official website: samorzad.gov.pl

Photos: Adrian Tync, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Przykuta, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons; Cybularny, CC0, Wikimedia Commons; Mateusz Giełczyński, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons; Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.