LocationsClean Water, Clear Conscience: The Story of Gradac and the People Who Protect It
December 23, 2025
The gorge of the Gradac River looks like a postcard: the swift mountain river has carved a gorge more than 20 kilometers long, its sides rising hundreds of meters high, with caves and forests providing a home to many different plants and animals. Gradac is one of the cleanest rivers in Serbia and Europe—so clean that the people of Valjevo love to remind us that you can drink the water straight from the riverbed.
Ognjen Krnetić, a ranger in the protected area of the Gradac River Gorge and a member of the Gradac Environmental Society, has spent decades making sure that Gradac stays that way. He grew up in a family that protected nature before it even became a profession. His grandfather was a hunting ground manager, his grandmother an expert in medicinal herbs, and for many generations, the whole family lived off the forest, hunting, fishing, and working the land. This family tradition of responsible use of nature and stewardship of forest and water led Ognjen to the job he does today—he is the man who makes sure the Gradac River will stay clean for his children to enjoy.
"People come here in the summer and say, 'Oh, your life must be so wonderful, all you do is walk around in all this beauty.' I am lucky to work in a place this beautiful, I agree, but in February, the temperature can be minus 20 for two weeks in a row, and in November, it can rain for 20 days without a break. Yet this is when people steal wood the most, this is when poachers are active, and this is when you have to be outside", says Krnetić.
Ognjen Krnetić in the Gradac River
Gradac is designated as a protected natural area covering approximately 1,260 hectares, making it one of the most valuable regions in Western Serbia. However, having this status on paper is not enough. In Divčibare and the Valjevo mountains, ongoing construction is relentless, while the sewage system is not being developed at the same pace. As a result, cesspits often overflow into streams that flow into the Gradac River, which supplies the city of Valjevo with drinking water. When we add the impact of the nearby quarry, the planned mines to be opened, and the disruptive rides of quad cars across forests and river terraces, it is clear that habitats are not flourishing as much as they could.
This pressure on nature goes hand in hand with practical challenges for civil society organizations that manage protected areas. The Gradac Environmental Society, which manages this area, relies on modest budgetary funds from the state and local self-government.
In recent years, Gradac has fallen victim to its own popularity. Since the pandemic, when people began seeking nature escapes near cities, the gorge has experienced an invasion of visitors in its protected areas: unauthorized camping, fires started where it is prohibited, and swimming spots crowded with bathers.
"The legal protection measures have existed for over 20 years, but we did not enforce them strictly until now because there was no need. Today, camping is allowed only in designated areas, zones where fires are permitted or prohibited are clearly marked, and group visits and camping must be announced in advance and properly registered, with all fees paid. Oversight is also stronger. It may seem strict, but we are enforcing these measures so that Gradac does not lose the very thing that attracts people—its clean nature and peace", says Krnetić.
Despite all difficulties, the local community remains committed to the vision of keeping Gradac clean and vibrant. The project "Natural Measures for Ecological Gradac" is part of the community's effort to address the various challenges the river faces with smart, nature-based solutions. As part of this project, accumulated sediments were removed from the Gradac riverbed at several critical locations, shallows were deepened, and sections of the riverbed were restored to resemble how older residents of Valjevo remember it. However, this work was done on a relatively small section of the river, while the gorge itself is over 20 kilometers long.
"Afforestation, installation of wicker barriers to prevent erosion, and shore rehabilitation are all good and necessary steps. However, the climate is changing: winters are snowless, we have droughts every year, springs are all capped, and simply put, there is less water than before. Yes, the results achieved today look beautiful, but what we need is continuity", emphasizes Krnetić.
Active collaboration with the local community adds value to this project. The sediment removed from the riverbed is temporarily stored on the property of local farmers, from where it will be transported and used appropriately. Local companies and residents participate in all activities because keeping the river clean is essential to them. Some of them depend on tourism, others on agriculture which relies on clean water, but for everyone, Gradac primarily means a quality of life. Projects like this help people see the tangible connection between their backyards, the stream near their homes, and the larger river basin.
Despite these challenges, there is a clear vision for preserving and improving Gradac in the coming years. The planned expansion of the protected area of the Gradac River Gorge will more than double its size, with a higher level of protection, stricter construction regulations, and improved conditions for habitat conservation. This vision for the future also includes more advanced research, such as monitoring otters—a species considered among the most reliable indicators of river ecosystem cleanliness. Plans also include turning smaller water surfaces into barriers against fires at camping sites and enhancing measures to counter erosion at the river’s most vulnerable locations. Together, these measures lay the foundation for Gradac to remain as we know it: clean, vibrant, and ready for future generations.
For Ognjen Krnetić and local residents living near Gradac, each of these measures is more than typical nature conservation—it is a way to preserve a part of their identity and family tradition. It is also an opportunity for the children who run along the shores of Gradac today to bring their own children to the same river tomorrow, under the same willow trees, and proudly say, "You know you can drink the water straight from the river here."
The project "Natural Measures for Ecological Gradac" is implemented by PUC Srbijavode in collaboration with the following partners: Gradac Environmental Society, Erozija Company Valjevo, the Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" and GDi Solutions LTD. The project is implemented with financial support from Sweden as part of the initiative "EU for Green Agenda in Serbia". This initiative, with the technical and financial support of the European Union and in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, is implemented by UNDP in cooperation with Sweden and the European Investment Bank (EIB), with additional funding provided by the governments of Sweden, Switzerland and Serbia.
