The rapid flow of the flood wave in the mountainous and high-lying regions of the former Bielsko-Biala, Jelenia Gora, Katowice, Krakow, Nowy Slcz and Walbrzych Provinces mainly resulted in erosion damage. The low-lying part of the country (former Kielce, Legnica, Leszno Opole, Rzeszow, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnow, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora Provinces within catchment of Oder, Warta and Vistula River and its tributaries) suffered mainly from prolonged stagnation of water and some silt deposition. In general, PIOS has not observed any significant increased presence of heavy metals in the soils and silts. The concentration of lead, chromium, arsenic and mercury was normal. Locally, heavy metal accumulation was observed in the flooding area of the river Ner. Increased concentrations of oil derivatives were observed in the Katowice region. The studies of the flood damages which occurred in 1997 and 1998 point to the need to include the flood risk in the risk assessment part of the environmental impact assessment performed for newly sited facilities, including sewage treatment plants and landfills. Furthermore, a more accurate assessment of the environmental impact of farming and forest management, in context of flood risk, is critical.
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