Many monuments are located near flowing streams or rivers, and some on the shores of lakes or bodies of water. Monuments by the rivers in the old days were significantly moved away from the coastline. Over the years, most often as a result of changing the riverbed or washing the banks, buildings were located in the immediate vicinity of a river or stream. The safety of such monuments depends primarily on the stabilization of the banks of the watercourse. As you know, river banks, streams and other bodies of water are constantly exposed to the erosive action of water, wave strokes, ice and other flowing materials, especially during high water or flood. There are also known cases of monument destruction for these reasons. For example, in 1813 r. as a result of washing away the slope during the flood, part of the castle with the tower in Nowy Sącz collapsed.
Various types of measures are used to protect the shores against the destructive effects of water, like strengthening the edges with bunches of fascine, wicker fences, using a rock throw, cobblestones, retaining walls, etc.
In cities, these devices have a particularly careful architectural setting, especially when the quays serve recreational purposes.
The use of one of the mentioned methods of reinforcement depends on many factors, mainly due to hydrogeological conditions, topographic shape of the shores, the nature of the threat to the monument itself and the landscape values of the surroundings.
When choosing means beyond technical considerations, which are decisive in certain cases, one should always strive to discreetly harmonize them with the monument and its surroundings.
Of the several monuments protected against destruction due to the washing away of the banks, the fortified manor house in Szymbark deserves attention, built in the years 1585—1590 on a small elevation in the bend of the Ropa River. This valuable monument of Polish architecture from the Renaissance period, with a well-shaped block preserved to our times in an almost unchanged state, began to scratch dangerously and crack. Research conducted by a team of experts in 1949 r. showed, that the main cause of the cracks was the violation of the stability of the subsoil as a result of washing the banks by the Ropa River, especially during periods of high water levels.
The foundations of the building rest on sandstone, which in their upper part are quite strongly weathered and cracked. Among the sandstones there are inserts of clay shales 20-30 cm thick. These shales were washed away at high water levels, and sandstone blocks moved into the river bed. As a result, the upper layers began to slide towards the river. In this way, parts of the building located on the shore side began to crack and move together with the disturbed ground. The situation was very dangerous, as with further washing of the shore, part of the structure could collapse into the riverbed.