Water quality of reclaimed lakes in post-mining locations of Czech Republic

Post-mining lakes in the Czech Republic, especially in North Bohemia, represent distinctive opportunities for ecological transformation of degraded landscapes. Such lakes form in closed open-pit mines, where they create new water and wetland habitats. The ecological development of such systems is strongly affected by water quality, which is often impaired by residual contamination from mining and nutrient imbalances. Investigating the water quality is therefore essential for understanding the ecological potential, implementation of restoration strategies, and for evaluation of environmental risks to ensure further safe human and ecological use. This study explores the water quality of four post-mining lakes in the Czech Republic-Medard, Milada, Most, and Barbora. It focuses on biological indicators (microbial and plankton diversity) and water chemistry. The aim was to assess whether the current properties meet environmental standards, potentially supporting their use beyond recreation, such as for agricultural irrigation, drinking, or other practical purposes. Diverse microbial and plankton taxa were detected, with notable seasonal variations indicating continuing environmental succession. Water chemistry was mostly within acceptable limits; however, sulphates and total dissolved solids concentrations exceeded the threshold at Medard and Milada, and hydrocarbon C10-C40 tolerable concentration was surpassed at Most.