The plight of our rivers is no longer a secret but, thankfully, groups of volunteers across the nation are tirelessly battling to address the issue as Britain’s ‘citizen science movement’ continues to grow.
In February last year we reported on the Wye Valley Citizen Science Moritoring Project, where hundreds of volunteers were carrying out nutrient tests in the river to establish the true impact of farm pollution. Since then, multiple groups have been set up on the Wye – but it’s not just this iconic waterway that people are fighting for, says River Action UK chairman, Charles Watson.
“Everywhere you look, citizen science groups are forming,” he told us. “People know of the issues our waterways are facing, and want to protect them.”
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River Action UK has just conducted one of the most extensive programmes ever on the River Thames at Henley. With help from the local community, it proved that the water was excessively nutrient- rich and in a very poor condition, and that Henley Sewage Treatment Works appeared to be breaching permitted levels of ammonia.
Crucially, citizen-led projects are able to create concrete data that allows regulators to be held accountable, as James Wallace, River Action CEO, revealed.
“The results of this citizen science prove the dire state of England's capital river. It's time to end the culture of blame and denial. Thames Water and the Government must admit culpability and invest in modernising infrastructure and enforcing the law,” he said.
Another citizen science project formed last year was the Angling Trust’s Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN), which has just completed its 2,000th test.
Under this initiative, volunteers from UK angling clubs take water samples on their rivers. It was rolled out nationally in July 2022.
“When we started, I never expected to record so many tests within the first year, yet a here we are,” said Kris Kent, who leads the project.
“What is sad is that the 2,000th sample, taken by Jonathan Swan on the River Chelmer, showed high phosphate and nitrate levels. The more anglers that get involved, the more impact we can have"
To take part, contact Kristian.kent@anglingrust.net
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