Želivka

The Želivka (on the upper course called Hejlovka) is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Sázava River. It flows through the Vysočina and South Bohemian regions. It is 103.9 km long, which makes it the 20th longest river in the Czech Republic.

Etymology
The river is named after the monastery and the settlement of Želiv.

Characteristic
The Želivka originates in Mezná in the Křemešník Highlands at the elevation of 677 m and flows to Soutice, where it enters the Sázava River at the elevation of 318 m. Above the Sedlice Reservoir it bears the name Hejlovka. It is 103.9 km long, which makes it the 20th longest river in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of 1188.4 km2.

The longest tributaries of the Želivka are:

Settlements
Despite its length, there are no large settlements on the Želivka. The most notable settlement on the river is Želiv, therefore its name. The river also flows along the border of Pelhřimov. The river flows past the following municipalities (including the shore of the Švihov Reservoir): Mezná, Božejov, Ústrašín, Ondřejov, Dubovice, Pelhřimov, Malý Beranov, Krasíkovice, Kojčice, Svépravice, Sedlice, Želiv, Koberovice, Vojslavice, Píšť, Ježov, Kožlí, Hněvkovice, Bernartice, Hulice, Zruč nad Sázavou and Soutice.

Bodies of water
There are 136 bodies of water larger than 1 ha in the basin area. The largest of them is the Švihov Reservoir with an area of 1602 ha. Other reservoirs built on the river are Sedlice and Vřesník.

Economy
The Švihov Reservoir provides drinking water supply for most of the Central Bohemian Region and the city of Prague. The Sedlice Reservoir, as well as the Trnávka and Němčice reservoirs on the tributaries of the Želivka, were built to capture alluvium and sediments before these watercourses reach the Švihov Reservoir.