The design regarding final constructing of structures of the cascade structure on the Upper Vistula River upstream Cracow has been implemented since 1974 and it is about to be completed soon. After the two stages are put into operation, there will be a waterway almost 90 kilometres long. Then, it could be used by 1000-ton barges for transporting coal from the port near Oświęcim to the reloading facilities in combined heat and power plants in Cracow area. The problem is that there is no interest in designing and constructing the barges, the port and the reloading facilities. The author ponders whether there is still enough time to encourage investors and whether they can take efficient actions.
Spatial distribution of annual precipitation is important element of engineering hydrology. To prepare precipitation maps for larger areas, proper methods of spatial interpolation and long-term precipitation records are needed. For analysed Upper Vistula Basin, 403 such representative stations with records for years 1952-1981 have been chosen and verified. Regularized Spline with Tension method of interpolation have been selected (2D version) to intepolate spatial distribution of annual precipitation in Soła watershed, and cross-validation method for results verification.
Water resources in Poland have been managed by National Water Management Authority. It supervises regional boards in Gdańsk, Gliwice, Kraków, Poznań, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wrocław. The author presents their scope of operations using the Kraków Regional Water Management Authority. The area covered by operations, water resources of the region, their water use and threats are presented. The planned water resource utilisation is presented, with account taken to constraints imposed by the Framework Water Directive.