Domokos Tamás szerk.: Pro Natura. A Dél-Tiszántúl természeti értékei (Békéscsaba, Munkácsy Mihály Múzeum, 1999)

ANCIENT LANDSCAPES OF THE REGION A KÖRÖS-BERETTYÓ-VÖLGY VIZEINEK SZABÁLYOZÁSA Prior to the river regulation works men could hardly influence the water regime of the Fekete Körös, Fehér Körös and Sebes Körös Rivers in the Eastern Part of the region, and the floods covered extensive areas every year. As the human population of the Great Plain increased a special agricultural practice was developed utilising the higher elevations called "cape" (fok in Hungarian), which based on the concordance with the flood regimes. This agricultural practice either did not change at all, or only to a negligible extent the water cover and regime of the flood-plains. This cape utilisation system collapsed by the end of the eighteenth century for various reasons. This in turn led to the spread of marsh covered areas in the Great Plain. The main geographical feature of the Eastern and northern part of our region is the Körös river-system, where basic water regulation activities were first attempted at the end of the eighteenth century. Later, from 1855 the river regulation works changed the landscape completely. As a consequence of flood control marsh and bog covered areas have shrunk. Mátyás Huszár, Károly Bodoky and Károly Kecskés planned the regulation of the Körös Rivers. The draining of marshes accompanying the water regulations caused a decline in the rainfall in the area, and hence the formerly extent and varied water biotopes disappeared almost completely. At the same time agricultural productivity and efficiency increased in magnitude considerably. The conservation of remaining patches of flora and fauna is a must, an act dictated of conscience. This demand is fulfilled with the co-ordination of the personnel of the Körös-Maros National Park.