The plants have been used for stabilizing stream banks.
Split wands are used for baskets.
Whole branches are used for furniture, garden plant protection, and woven together to make fences, trellises and fish traps.
Chopped and heated willow pieces make a kind of broth that is good for rooting plant cuttings in.
It's one of the plants used for natural treatment of greywater.
And I've 'heard' that if you plant the little fuzzy lumps, you'll get kittens. ;-)
Sue