ABSTRACT
The Willamette and Vistula Rivers are both low-gradient streams located in temperate latitudes. If, however, the authors regard the two rivers as being in different stages of restoration, then some good water-quality contrasts and comparisons can be made between them. Both basins have been subjected to stress from agriculture, industry, and urbanization, allowing insights into the physical, chemical, and biological dynamics in river ecosystems. The Vistula River Basin is much larger and dryer than the Willamette River Basin and contains industry and agriculture characteristic of a self-supportive country. The Willamette River Basin is one-sixth the size of the Vistula River Basin and has less diverse agricultural and industrial activities. The Willamette River is an internationally cited example of a restored river; the restoration process of the Vistula River has just begun. The geologic structure and rocks of the Willamette River Basin are generally much younger than their counterparts in Poland, although both areas have been affected by Pleistocene glaciation.
