Rivers and  streams   in  cities  are  treated  as  urbanised   watercourses  because  of their significant transformation.  Their   load,  channeling   and  incorporation   into  the  water-sewerage  infrastructure  are  often  so  considerable  that  such  watercourses  can  hardly   be recognised  as  an  intrinsic component of surface  waters.  Anthropopressure, as  reflected in quantitative and  qualitative degradation caused  by flow  regulation  and  economic development in  the  drainage  basin  area, makes  evaluation  of the  impact  of human  activity on the aquatic environment somewhat  difficult. Based on the recommendations  of the  Water Framework Directive, an  attempt  has  been made  to assess  the ecological state  of selected tributaries  of the  Prądnik-Białucha River   within   the  Krakow Conurbation. Aquatic environment sampling   of the  Sudół  Dominikański  (Rozrywka)  watercourse  was performed (September 2005)  in order to determine  some physicochemical, chemical  and biological parameters, paying particular attention  to macrophytes.  The parameters measured on site: pH, electrolytic conductivity   and Eh   of water   and  bottom sediments,   and  sozological observations,  were subjected to analysis. In  the  laboratory,   concentrations  of heavy  metals, both in  water  and in solid particles  (sediments  and  suspended  matter)  and  anions  in water were  determined. The environmental state  of the  Sudol  Dominikariski  watercourse   was compared  with   that in  the area  of the  Prądnik-Białucha River valley, for  which  an assessment   had  been conducted  in the  previous year (September  2004).