Water exploration works have begun in the Spačva Basin as part of the RETFOR project

As part of the project "Strengthening Climate Change Resilience Measures for the Protection and Revitalization of Ecosystems in the Spačva-Bosut Basin - RETFOR", water research works have begun in the Spačva Basin area with the aim of establishing a groundwater monitoring system and obtaining data necessary for long-term sustainable management of water and forest ecosystems.
The RETFOR project is a strategic cross-border project implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI-A IPA Programme Croatia-Serbia 2021-2027, and includes cooperation between six project partners from the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia responsible for water and forest management. The specific objective of the project is to determine the state of the ecosystem of the Spačva-Bosut Basin and, based on the data obtained, to define measures and develop a long-term action plan to strengthen the area's resilience to climate change through integrated water and forest management.
In the Croatian part of the Spačva-Bosut basin, Hrvatske vode is responsible for implementing activities to establish a joint cross-border groundwater monitoring system, including the construction and commissioning of two exploratory piezometer wells. The activities include three key sub-activities: exploratory drilling of piezometer wells, hydrogeological investigations and drilling supervision.
In preparation for drilling, geophysical investigations using the geoelectric tomography (ERT) method were carried out in the Spačva Forest area near Lipovac in June and July 2025. 13 ERT profiles with a total length of 6,430 meters were recorded, based on which the underground structure of the terrain and the optimal locations for drilling were determined.
Water exploration works were carried out at the end of October 2025, when two exploration-piezometric wells PSŠ-1 and PSŠ-2 were drilled, with depths of 45 m and 70 m. The drilling was carried out using the rotary drilling method with continuous coring. The core was geologically processed, a PVC technical structure was installed in the wells, and trial pumping and hydraulic testing of aquifers were carried out.
The Spačva basin is located within the Srijem-Sava depression and is made up of thick deposits of Quaternary alluvial sediments of Holocene age, which form a complex and extremely important groundwater system. Several aquifers have been developed within these deposits, including shallower free and deeper confined aquifers under pressure.
Automatic measuring devices for continuous monitoring of the level, temperature and electrical conductivity of groundwater have been installed in the wells, and hydrogeological monitoring will be carried out for a period of 20 months. The collected data will be used to analyze groundwater dynamics, determine their connection with surface waters, and develop a conceptual hydrogeological model. By implementing these activities, Croatian Waters provides a reliable scientific and expert basis for decision-making in water management, thereby enabling long-term sustainable management of water and forest ecosystems of the Spačva-Bosut basin and strengthening their resilience to the effects of climate change.