Hydroelectric Power Station Iron Gate I (Đerdap I) on the Danube River near Kladovo was constructed in accordance with the agreement signed between Yugoslavia and Romania in 1963. The dam was put into operation 1970.
The backwater caused by the dam has an impact on 180,000 ha upstream from the dam itself all the way to the Danube River in Novi Sad i.e. up to the dam on Tisa River near Novi Bečej. Thus a special protection system was designed and it consists of drainage canals, drainage wells, pumping stations and bank stabilizations.
The responsibilities of the Public Company Đerdap are the following:
- to complete the additional protection system of the bank
- to provide regular annual monitoring, measuring and analysis of the backwater impact
- to provide regular and investment maintenance of bank protection structures as well as functioning and operation of pumping stations.
The backwater caused by the HPS ĐERDAP I impacts 148,000 ha on the territory of AP Vojvodina.
In accordance with the contract with Public Company Đerdap, maintenance, providing functionality and the operation of structures for the protection against the HPS ĐERDAP I backwater is carried out by the following six water management companies from Vojvodina:
1. WMC Podunavlje, Kovin
2. WMC Tamiš–Dunav, Pančevo
3. WMC Ušće, Bela Crkva
4. WMC Srednji Banat, Zrenjanin
5. WMC Šajkaška, Novi Sad
6. WMC Galovica, Zemun