Bibliogr. s. 76-78

The study consisted of an analysis of changes in the course of the Soła River and covered the section of the river situated in the Carpathian foreland. A detailed analysis was performed for a 3.5 km section of the Soła valley in the vicinity of Oświęcim - a midsize city in southern Poland. The aim of the research was to evaluate natural and anthropogenic determinants of runoff formation and the resulting erosion, transport, and aggradation of sediments in the Soła river channel. The study covers the time period from the late century to the late 19th century with a special focus on the years 1812 to 1875 or the final phase of the Little Ice Age. The materials used in the study include detailed maps of the Soła valley (scale: approx. 1:6,000 or 1:8,000) as well as maps at the scale 1:28,800. The detailed maps were created by the Galicia Water Management Bureau in Kraków for local projects associated with river regulation works. Medium-scale maps were produced in chronological order: (1) first military map of Galicia called Mieg’s Map during the era of Emperor Joseph, where the cartographic work was managed by the Headquarters of the General Staff, (2) second miliary map of AustriaHungary created during the reign of Emperor Francis. The present study employs military maps of Galicia and Bukovina created based upon a generalization of available cadastral maps. These materials are characterized by a significant degree of detail and cartometric finesse. Twenty six maps of the studied section of river were used in the study. The research helped to determine changes in the pattern of braided and anastomosing rivers with gravel bed channels flowing across mountain foreland areas. The channel pattern was found to change in the studied section following every high water stage. The changes included shifts in the location of the actual channel as well as variations in depth. In some cases the river channel would become deeper or wider, while in other cases it would become filled in with sediment. Significant changes in the studied river’s system were noted as a result of variations in the climate and due to human impact in the Soła river channel and along its tributaries. The width of the Soła channel declined from about 80 m to about 60 m, while maximum depth increased from 2.2 m to 3.2 m, main river channel length declined from 3.48 m to 2.99 m, and the total length of lateral channels declined from 4.20 km to 3.46 km. The sinuosity of watercourses also decreased, while the studied multi-channel river in effect became a single-channel river featuring multiple currents.