Some areas intended for afforestation are characterised by a lack of moisture and mineral nutrients. One of the approaches to improve water retention capacity of soils is the use of hydrogels (polymer soil conditioners). The presented experiment was performed with 4 different methods of hydrogel applications and control in a post-industrial area – a dumping ground of the Brown Coal Mine Bełchatów (Forest District Administration Bełchatów). The Aquaterra product (pure hydrogel) and hydrogel with nutrients (TerraVit) produced by Terra-Gubin company were used in all experiments. From 292 to 306 one-year old seedlings of Pinus sylvestris L. of an average height of 80–101 mm were planted in each plot. The influence of hydrogel application method on successful afforestation and growth of seedling was analyzed after the first vegetation year. Maximum number of surviv seedlings (93.3%) was observed for hydrogel applied through roots coating, minimum (72.4%) for hydrogel with fertilizers applied under plants. Results obtained for pure hydrogel surface application (89.1%) and pure hydrogel applied under plants (85.3%) can be compared with results from control plot (89.7%). Mean heights of surviving seedlings were similar (128–130 mm) for root coating, and both methods of hydrogel application under plants, in contrast with surficial hydrogel application (117 mm) and control where they were minimal (111 mm). Mean height increments in surviving seedlings were minimum in control plot (31 mm), and similar (38–40 mm) for root coating and surface application. The best results of height increments (47 mm) were obtained when hydrogel mixed with fertiliser was applied under plants. To sum up, in view of plant survival the best method of polymer soil conditioner (hydrogel) application was root coating; this method gave also satisfactory increments of plant height.

The Włodawka River catchment of an area of 725 km2 covers the central and eastern part of the Łęczna-Włodawa Lake District. Evaluation of the role of hydrogenic areas in runoff creation was based on materials of the Department of Hydrography and the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management data. The analysis was conducted for selected catchments in which additional hydrometric measurements and water quality tests were done. Such parameters as: the share of hydrogenic surfaces in total catchment area, types of wetlands, their hypsometric location and position with reference to drainage streams were taken into consideration for evaluation. The degree of anthropogenic transformation of the marshland was expressed in terms of density and depth of the drainage ditches that dissect it. It was found that the drained gyttja of Krowie Bagno plays a considerable role in increasing the minimum discharge. Wetlands in the Włodawka River catchment influence the conditions of the runoff and water quality, which is noticeable, primarily, in the concentration of organic carbon, and of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds.

During the past several years big changes have been observed in waste water disposal, noticeable particularly in the improvement of water protection and sewage treatment. An important element of waste water disposal still requiring improvement is a low development of sewage systems in rural and urban areas. The main problem is an increasing amount of sludge, high degree of sediment hydration and considerable ability to anaerobic decomposition, a lack of areas for managing sediments near big cities and deposits of sediments on storage areas. Selected issues of waste water disposal and sludge handling in the Mazovian Province against a background of waste water disposal and sludge handling in Poland were presented in the article.

The aim of this study was to delimit lacustrine deposits underlaying present peatlands. On this basis, the location of water bodies in late Pleistocene and early Holocene was recognized. The lakes’ occurrence was presented on the background of geomorphological conditions. Lacustrine deposits occur mainly in depressions of the northern part of the Knyszyńska Forest. They are placed in upper parts of the Czapielówka River, Jałówka River, middle Sokołda River and upper Kumiałka River catchments. The thickness of gyttja varies between 0.4 and 2.5 m. These are detrital, calcareous and clay-calcareous gyttjas. Lacustrine sediments fill the bottoms of various meltout depressions. The origin of these depressions, as well as the whole glacial relief of the terrain, is often linked to deglaciation of the Warta ice sheet. However, kame deposits in the Janów village are younger than Warta glaciation. Moreover, the catchment relief of the upper Kumiałka River is similar to the relief which originates from Vistulian glaciation. Besides, there are boulder deposits directly under the lacustrine deposits. These three facts indicate a younger age of the melt-out depressions in the upper Kumiałka River catchment.

In order to help develop a better understanding of relevant catchment processes, this paper presents the changes in physico-chemical features of the Wieprz River water during the spring snowmelt flood of 2006. The obtained results showed that the groundwater sampled from the springs and the water sampled from the river had a similar and quite stable composition of the basic physicochemical features in the period of solely groundwater feeding (the river is fed only with the water coming from underground sources). The physico-chemical composition of river water during snowmelt depended on the contribution of surface runoff in total outflow and the flood phase. The correlation coefficients between the discharge in the Wieprz River and the concentrations in the studied indices were significantly negative: pH, SEC, HCO3, Ca, Mg, Na, Sr, SiO2, Cl, SO4, F. Significantly positive correlations associated with an increase in discharge were observed in the case of: K, NO3, NO2, total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand. Step and bidirectional responses were noted during the snowmelt flood in the case of the content of NH4 and PO4.

The runoff coefficient is one of the fundamental hydrological characteristics of a catchment. It indicates a share of the precipitation water that runs off from the catchment.

The results of the runoff coefficient calculation based on measurements carried out continuously in the Cerhovický Stream catchment over a considerable period of time, i.e. from 1988 up to 2006 are presented. The precipitation and runoff data in the catchment were used. Mean value of the runoff coefficient and the runoff coefficients for the agricultural and forest parts of the catchment are presented. The total mean runoff coefficient for the Cerhovický Stream is 0.19 with the standard deviation of 0.06. Mean runoff coefficient for the forest part is 0.13 and for the agricultural part – 0.24.

Differences between the years with a higher and a lower precipitation were followed as well. We also statistically evaluated possible hydrological changes caused by the construction of the highway and the market centre. For another possible explanation of quite high standard deviation of the mean annual runoff coefficient we followed the monthly runoff coefficient dependence on water temperature and of ground water table depth.

Premises for the construction of balance equations of water reserves in the saturation zone of forest soil are presented in this paper. Changes of soil water reserves are dealt with as an effect of the atmosphere-tree stand-soil balance at the assumption of constant ground water flow and negligibly small losses for infiltration down the soil profile below saturation zone. These assumptions are met in permeable lowland forest soils, particularly in areas where the aquifer is situated on relatively shallow impermeable substratum. Then, for snow-free periods, it is possible to: 1) combine the increment of soil water reserves with precipitation above tree crowns and with plant and litter interception and 2) combine the losses of soil water reserves with plant transpiration and evaporation from the soil surface. The periods of increments and losses of soil water reserves are determined from limnigraph records of ground water table depth in piesometers. Examples are given in the paper of equations identified by long term data from 13 soil profiles localised in pine forests on Pleistocene floodplain of the Dunajec River. The data included: ground water table depth, physical properties of grounds in soil profiles, and hydro-climatic conditions. The equations combine increments and losses of water reserves in the saturation zone with rainfall and deficits of air humidity measured on a midforest meadow.

Almost half (47%) of Latvian forest areas (3611 thousand ha) are considered degraded or partly improved by the hydro-technical drainage. The degradation is caused by very poor soil aeration due to waterlogged conditions. The location of waterlogged forests in Latvia is neither uniform nor occasional. Comparison of the abundance of waterlogged forests and the amount of atmospheric precipitation showed that the waterlogged forests are mainly located in areas with least precipitation. This hydrological phenomenon is connected with water discharge in drainage ditches: even during the dry summers of the years 1963, 1964, 1975, 1976 and 2002 in the drained forests with deep peat soils water flowed continuously in 1 m deep ditches and the discharge exceeded the amount of precipitation. Using the data from 182 sample plots in drained forests with the peat layer depth of 4.2 m, it was found, that coniferous forests are most productive in areas where the peat layer is most dense. One of the possible explanations for this phenomenon is that the most intensive paludification and formation of most dense peat layer are characteristic for the areas with intensive water discharge from confined aquifers. This discharge provides necessary mineral nutrients for the forest soil regardless of the peat layer thickness. The forest productivity may increase several times due to the enhancement of water movement in soil and to improved soil aeration by hydro-technical drainage. Also the flow regime of rivers connected with the drained areas changes considerably, mitigating extremely high and low flow events.

Views on the objectives and role of water management have remarkably changed in the last years. The need of a complex water management that would consider all water users including agriculture and natural environment is often underlined. It is pointed out that agriculture and natural environment (including commercial forests) are basic consumers of precipitation water which is not considered in water and economic balances. More and more importance is attributed to the utilisation of waters from catchment basin and to application of non-technical measures of controlling water cycles. A large impact of agro-ecosystems and natural or semi-natural (forests, wetlands) ecosystems on water balance is underlined. This different approach to the problems of water management is expressed e.g. in Water Framework Directive of European Union devoted to surface and ground water protection. The directive attributes a great role to the protection of aquatic and water related ecosystems. More and more often it is realised that the total water resources are equal to the volume of atmospheric precipitation. Water management should involve not only the water in geological aquifers or river channels but also that which is retained in soil profile. Such elements of water balance as spatial distribution, interception, infiltration and recharge of ground water reservoirs, soil retention capacity, surface runoff and evapotranspiration depend largely on land use in a catchment. Through appropriate land use and catchment management, application of rational agro-technical methods, development of small retention, wetland restoration, and hampering water outflow from draining systems one may significantly affect water cycling in a catchment.

Small water resources of Poland, increasing water consumption, climate changes and requirements of environmental protection enforce the implementation of complex methods of water management and search for environmental-friendly methods of limiting economic losses caused by water deficit or excess. Saving water used for economic purposes and agriculture would permit better fulfilment of the needs of natural environment.

In the projects of protection of soil-water environment there is a need to combine and process large amount of information from various disciplines to estimate parameters of phenomena and to determine the range and time table of necessary undertakings.

Due to complex assessment of processes taking place in aquifers, mathematical modeling is the best tool supporting evaluation off pollution in the ground water environment. It is also an effective method of forecasting the risk associated with the harmful impact of objects polluting grounds and grounds waters.

Significant application of mathematical modeling is the use for the enlargement of information gathered in the process of recognition and assessment of condition that prevail in soil-water environment. Results of modeling, if appropriately presented, could be an important element of decision support system in environmental management.

This paper describes procedures for developing an environmental remediation decision support system by linking CADD and GIS software with the hydro geological flow and transport models.

Uncertainties as to how the climate will change and how it will influence the necessities and trends of irrigation development lead to a number of serious questions to be answered in the near future. How irrigation and water systems will have to adapt to climate changes is a challenge that planners, designers and O&M services will have to cope with.

It is widely accepted that air temperature in Poland will increase of 2–4°C, however a total yearly precipitation will not vary yet its pattern during the year may change towards higher in winter and lower in summer. Evapotranspiration and crop water demand may rise due to both an increase in temperature and duration of crop growth cycles.

Three main factors are expected to exert an accelerating influence on the development of irrigation: increased frequency and intensity of droughts and long-lasting precipitation-free periods with the high insolation and high air temperatures resulting from climate change; the intensification of agricultural production (e.g. in horticulture, orchards, seed crops), being forced by both domestic and European free-market competition; the necessity of reaching high level of quality for the majority of agricultural products.

To mitigate negative effects of climate change and extreme events, appropriate adaptation methods and adaptation strategies should be developed and implemented in existing irrigation and water control systems. A number of technological and organisational steps should be taken to improve operation, management, administration and decision making processes.