The 10,000 km2 operational area of the South-Transdanubian Water Management Directorate is mainly located in Counties Somogy and Baranya with a smaller area to be found in County Tolna.
The area is of mainly hilly characteristic, flat areas are situated in the northern and southern parts of the operational area.
About 730,000 people inhabit the area’s 528 settlements out of which there are only 29 towns and the rest portray a small-sized settlement pattern.
The main recipients, such as the River Danube, the River Dráva and Lake Balaton lie in the periphery of the operational area. The density of the watercourse network is 1.17 km/km2 and this value is several times greater than the national average. The length of the watercourses in our trusteeship is about 3,290 km. Due to the high density of the watercourses and the hilly characteristics; there are a great number of lakes (more than 600) in the operational area.
The majority of the free (utilizable) surface water resources are along the two rivers, Danube and Dráva; in order to meet demands for water in the inner areas the only solution is reservoirs. There is no irrigation structure to be found in the operational area. More significant underground water resources are to be found along River Dráva.
The Directorate is responsible for a 107.3 km long section of Category 1 flood protection dike; 19.9 km is situated on the right bank of Danube from Mohács to the state border; and 87.4 km is on the left bank a Dráva from Tótújfalu to the state border – together with the backfilled waters of ‘Pécsi-víz’ and ‘Fekete-víz’.
12 stable pumping stations at Lake Balaton, along the River Danube and the River Dráva, in three inland water protection sections support the excess water control activity with a total capacity of 15.2 m3/s.
The South-Transdanubian Water Management Directorate is a public body that operates from state budget and employs 184 civil servants.