Ligeti László: A Balaton szabályozása (Vízügyi Történeti Füzetek 7. Budapest, 1974)
Idegen nyelvű összefoglalók
gated cultivation to reach autocracy of these resort areas in food supply.) On the other hand, drainage of the Little _Balaton for a peat mining operation seemed to have a damaging effect by cutting off this area from the waterhousehold of the lake. This „landdrainage" based on misunderstanding of operation and interrelations of natural forces has dangerously sped up sitting in the bay of Keszthely by excluding the second main interceptor after the increasingly oversedimented Zala-Valley. Despite these contradictions the development of the vacation area was rapid: at the turn of the century first Siófok, the Almádi, and Fonyód became equivalent partners of Füred and Keszthely-Hévíz. In the first years of this century the construction of harbours gave impetus to the development of resort-villages and towns. At the same time the fish-stock of the lake once abundant and famous became a victim of ruthless exploitation. The Hungarian water service was unfortunately not able to save this stock and to implement up-to-date lake-management (e. g. construction of fishnurseries). Social-economic changes after 1945 made it possible to turn the Lake into the people's power and to start planned development activities around it. First organized vacationing of workers, later increasing tourism gave impetus to rapid development in the Balaton area. Satisfaction of increasing demands of international tourist trade, however, requires even greater efforts. This can be solved only by planned and proposeful regional planning for perspective development. The first results of this plan are: preparation of land for settlement-development, extension of the area served by public-works, land filling and bank-protection combined with land reclamation, finally initiation of further channel improvement on the Sió River. Water-management activities, however, cannot be confined to the lake itself and immediate surroundings according to recent experiences gained during development processes around the lake. Reestablishment of the natural water-household of the lake and its stabilization together with the protection of water quality and of lake-shores, up-to-date water management of the coastal area: public-works and water utilization, finally agricultural and hydraulic rearrangement of the whole watershed compose a complex, inseparable problem. Each element of this problem influences directly the future of the resort-area of the lake, like necessary links of a chain. Stabilization of the water level — in accordance with today's requirements — can be realized only in the case, where besides the possibility of regulation on the negative side (channel improvement of the Sió-River), also the positive side (inflow) can be regulated, in other words, care is taken of water import into the watershed area. Until this, the most important problem remains the protection of lake water quality, i. e. further exclusion of pollution either agricultural, industrial or commercial. All these factors must be taken into consideration to avoid reoccurance of 1965, when the lake turned into a hécatombe of fish, moreover a dead water unable to fulfil any of its function. Today, when the waves of environmental pollution endangering the biosphere as an entity inundated the country and environmental management became urgent, the program of development of Lake Balaton must also be revised. The largest and most important recreational area of the country with regard to public health, social and labour aspects: Lake Balaton and its surraoundings, most valuable due to their refreshing pure water, air and calm must be promoted to a sanctuary off environmental protection and National Park. Hidden possibilities and pricelles values cannot be risked or sacrificed for instantaneous advance due the short-sight, ignorance or irresponsibility. Lake Balaton and its surroundings, the vacationing workers and forreign visitors must be protected from all damaing effects of water-, air-, and environmental pollution. This paper was prepared aiming to compile morals of the past in order to solve problems of today and tomorrow.
