The design of the surroundings of Lake Milada near Ústí will be proposed by architects

Ústí nad Labem - The surroundings of Lake Milada near Ústí nad Labem will be designed by architects. The public can also get involved with ideas. This year, engineering networks will be completed around the water area that was created by flooding a mining pit, and the entire circuit around the lake will be stabilized. Walter Fiedler, the new director of the Ústí Fuel Combine which manages the area, said this to ČTK.

A commission composed of experts and representatives of surrounding municipalities is currently preparing the architectural competition assignment. The public will have the opportunity to present their proposals and comments at a debate on January 30 at the Hraničář cinema. The International Landscape Competition will be announced by the Ústí Fuel Combine in the spring, with results expected in the fall.

According to the director, the competition should clarify, in several variants, how to make the lake more accessible to people, whether it is appropriate to build a quarter for family housing in its vicinity, to establish a campsite or a hotel, and how much land should be left free for nature, where water attractions could be located. "Once we have the answers, we will seek funding for implementation," said Fiedler. He believes there is a great chance of obtaining finance from European funds allocated for coal regions.

Visitors to Milada will experience improved conditions this year. The Fuel Combine will complete the construction of networks. "Sewage, water, and electricity will be brought to the area; the entire circuit around the lake will be completed for access by the integrated rescue system, and a pier will be built for better access to the water," the director stated. However, there will be no permanent social facilities yet; mobile toilets will be available year-round.

The reinforced path around the lake, known as the Tuchomyšl Circuit, is already being used by skaters and will measure nearly ten kilometers. It will also be available to organizers of various sports, cultural, or charity events, of which several dozen take place at Milada throughout the year. The next one will be on February 1.

The state enterprise is also continuing the revitalization of the Modlanský Stream bed. The lands currently belong to the state. It has not yet been decided whether to hand them over to municipalities or retain them.

Fishing remains strictly prohibited at Milada. "We want to preserve the excellent water quality, which remains clean even during hot summers," stated company spokeswoman Hana Volfová. In addition to water sports enthusiasts, cyclists, and skaters, one can encounter water rescuers who come here to train, as well as ornithologists and other naturalists. Educational trails around Milada provide information about the villages that had to give way to coal mining in the past. Its reserves have not yet been written off, but according to the director, there are no plans to resume mining in the area.

Lake Milada was created by flooding the original brown coal mine. The filling began in 2001 and ended in 2010, with public access granted in 2015. The maximum depth of the lake is 24.7 meters.