Title: Changes in river channel pattern as a result of the construction, operation and decommissioning of watermills - the case of the middle reach of the River Liswarta near Krzepice, Poland Author: Maria Fajer Citation style: Fajer Maria. (2018). Changes in river channel pattern as a result of the construction, operation and decommissioning of watermills - the case of the middle reach of the River Liswarta near Krzepice, Poland. "Environmental & Socio-economic Studies" (2018, Vol. 6, iss. 1, s. 25-37), doi 10.2478/environ-2018-0004 Environmental & Socio-economic Studies DOI: 10.2478/environ-2018-0004 Environ. Socio.-econ. Stud., 2018, 6, 1: 25-37 © 2018 Copyright by University of Silesia in Katowice ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Original article Changes in river channel pattern as a result of the construction, operation and decommissioning of watermills – the case of the middle reach of the River Liswarta near Krzepice, Poland Maria Fajer Department of Reconstructing Environmental Change, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska Str. 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland E–mail address:
[email protected] _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Changes in river channel pattern in the middle reach of the River Liswarta and in the lower reaches of its tributaries near Krzepice were analysed, and were related to the construction, operation and decommissioning of watermills. For this purpose, old maps which covered the period from the beginning of the 18th century until the 20th century were used alongside written historical sources. Maps from the first half of the 19th century provided valuable source material. Traces of old mill water systems in the valley floor were analysed on the basis of a numerical terrain model and aerial photographs as well as on the basis of detailed geomorphological mapping.