Izvir Dobličice (Dobličko jezero spring)
The green spring lake of the Dobličica is Bela krajina's most important spring and water-supply source. Its sump was first explored to 45 m; over New Year 2002/2003 a joint team of Jamarski klub Železničar, Potapljaški klub Bela krajina and JD Dimnice found a crack at 24 m opening into a huge vertical shaft, reaching 67 m, then 100 m and finally 121 m on mixed gas – at the time Slovenia's second-deepest siphon. The spring is one of the very few places where the black olm lives; the first live specimen in the wild was found here by divers in February 2004.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Dolenjska & Bela krajina (Krka, Kolpa, Kočevje)
- Depth: 0–121 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: cave
- Coordinates: 45.5514097, 15.144187 (approximate)
- Highlights: green spring lake hiding a deep sump, sump explored to 45 m, then a 15–20 m wide shaft to 67 m, 100 m and finally 121 m reached on mixed gas (2003), second-deepest Slovenian siphon at that time, black olm (Proteus anguinus parkelj) – first live one seen in the wild in 2004, main drinking-water source of Bela krajina, relatively good visibility, moderate flow
- Permit: Drinking-water abstraction site, so water-protection rules also apply; the black olm is strictly protected. Under the Cave Protection Act (ZVPJ) every cave, including water-filled ones, is state-owned and protected. Only persons certified for independent caving (certificate checked by the Speleological Association of Slovenia, JZS) may explore caves, and they must notify the cave's custodian, concessionaire or protected-area manager in advance (Art. 14); closed caves can be entered only for scientific/archaeological work with a permit from the ministry responsible for nature conservation (Art. 17). There is no visitor dive permit: in practice diving here happens only as a member of the caving/cave-diving team that runs the exploration.
- Issuer / contact: Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning – Nature Conservation Sector
- Phone: +38614787335
- Email: gp.mop@gov.si
- Website: https://www.gov.si/teme/podzemne-jame/
- Tips: Research-only, not available to visiting divers. A protected drinking-water source and black-olm habitat; deep trimix exploration with tight restrictions at 55 m and 80 m.