Water-powered facilities (WPFs) have traditionally been a pillar of the economy and social development. Therefore, the state took an interest in having these objects recorded and mapped in relevant maps and registers. This article focuses on identifying and localizing WPFs in the Moravice River basin in the so-called Sudetenland, Czechia, between the years 1763 and 2021. Specifically, the evolution and (dis)continuity of the WPFs are assessed through an analysis of cartographic and archival sources, reflecting the wider socioeconomic and demographic context as explanatory variables. The cartographic sources included old military topographic maps of Austria-Hungary and Czechoslovakia from four periods (the mid-18th century, mid-19th century, end of the 19th century, and mid-20th century) on the one hand and two state water-powered facility registers from 1930 and 1953 on the other. The archival sources included funds from regional and state archives. The results show that the count of WPFs peaked during the 19th century, after which there occurred a steep decline caused by societal and economic changes, namely, the expulsion of the local German population, nationalization in the postwar period, and economic and organizational transformations in the socialist era. Special attention is paid to hydropower plants, whose evolution reflects the outlined economic processes.

Flash floods generated by concentrated surface runoff represent a major natural hazard affecting small catchments and built-up areas. This study presents an updated national methodology for identifying critical points (CPs) and their contributing areas in the Czech Republic. The methodology integrates a LiDAR-derived digital terrain model, an updated delineation of built-up areas based on the national topographic database ZABAGED^®, and hydrologically conditioned terrain models representing two limiting hydraulic-connectivity conditions. A new procedure was developed to delineate contributing areas across culverted stream sections and other drainage interruptions, enabling a more detailed representation of concentrated runoff pathways. Comparison with the original 2009 dataset demonstrated substantial changes in the number and spatial distribution of CPs resulting from updated input data and methodological refinements. The two hydraulic-connectivity scenarios produced similar national-scale patterns but locally altered runoff pathways, CP locations, and contributing-area boundaries. The resulting datasets provide a nationwide framework for flash-flood susceptibility screening and the spatial targeting of mitigation measures. Their integration into the operational Flash Flood Indicator of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute further demonstrates their applicability to spatially targeted early warning. The CP approach is transferable to regions with suitable geospatial data, although adaptation to local conditions may be required.