Svratka (river)

The Svratka (Schwarzach) is a river in the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Thaya River. It flows through the Vysočina and South Moravian regions, including the city of Brno. At 168.5 km long, it is the 9th longest river in the Czech Republic.

Etymology
According to one theory, the name originates from the Proto-Slavic verb vort (vrátit in modern Czech), which meant "to return". It denoted "a returning river" (which meant meandering river). According to the second theory, the name was derived from the Germanic Swarta, which meant "black water". Sometimes the river was colloquially referred to as Švarcava or Švorcava.

Characteristic
The Svratka originates in Cikháj in the Upper Svratka Highlands at the elevation of 772 m and flows to the Nové Mlýny reservoirs, where it enters the Thaya River in Dolní Věstonice at the elevation of 163 m. It is 168.5 km long, which makes it the 9th longest river in the Czech Republic. Its drainage basin has an area of 7115.6 km2.

The longest tributaries of the Svratka are:

Settlements
The most notable settlement on the Svratka is the city of Brno, where the Svitava flows into the river. The river flows past the following municipalities: Cikháj, Herálec, Svratka, Křižánky, Březiny, Krásné, Spělkov, Telecí, Borovnice, Jimramov, Strachujov, Unčín, Dalečín, Chlum-Korouhvice, Vír, Koroužné, Štěpánov nad Svratkou, Ujčov, Nedvědice, Černvír, Doubravník, Borač, Štěpánovice, Tišnov, Veverská Bítýška, Brno, Modřice, Rajhrad, Židlochovice, Nosislav, Velké Němčice, Vranovice, Pouzdřany, Ivaň and Dolní Věstonice.

In the section from Březiny to Borovnice, the river forms the border between the Vysočina and Pardubice regions. In the section from Herálec to Jimramov, the river also forms the border between the historical lands of Bohemia and Moravia.

Bodies of water
The reservoirs Brno (259 ha), Vír I (224 ha) and Vír II (13 ha) are built on the Svratka. The largest body of water in the basin area is the Dalešice Reservoir with an area of 463 ha, which is built on the Jihlava River. There are 4,942 bodies of water in the basin area.

Economy
The Svratka is among the popular rivers for river tourism. Two of its sections are navigable; hovewer, the upper section is navigable only during the spring thaw and after heavy rains, and the lower section depends on the discharge of the Vír I and Vír II reservoirs. A short slalom channel is built between Vír I and Vír II.