Besides being important to the local community, especially for livestock farmers and their herds, they are also hotspots of biodiversity. Although water supply is no longer a challenge, and livestock numbers are decreasing, ponds and wells remain a significant part of the karst landscape and the generations living there.

Through the Still Water Revival project, Guidelines for the restoration of wells and ponds in a traditional manner have been developed, providing an overview of the most common ponds and wells in the karst area, their functions, and basic steps for traditional restoration. Although intended for public institutions managing protected areas, they can also be useful for anyone interested in revitalizing a pond or well in their surroundings. 

The guidelines offer general experiences and ways to restore puddles or wells but are not a substitute for a complete manual intended for contractors specializing in specific pond and wells restoration work.

The guidelines are available for download, in Croatian and English. Check for the English version here:  Guidelines_eng

The Still Water Revival project addresses the challenges of preserving small freshwater ecosystems and brings solutions through a strategic approach, an assessment of the current state of these ecosystems, the development of a methodology to determine priorities, and finally, the restoration of puddles and wells identified as the highest priority.

(This article was translated into English by Maja Dragojević)