Twice a year, The Rivers Trust runs a Big River Watch, and the next one takes place from 25th April to 1st May. These are week-long citizen science surveys in which everyone can take part in a simple activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.
New for this year, participants who’d like to collect even more information about their river can also sign up to the Great UK WaterBlitz, and test the water for phosphates and nitrates after completing a Big River Watch survey.
Our rivers are far from healthy. They’re polluted with sewage, plastic, chemicals and nutrients, and just 15% of river stretches in England are in good overall health.
To restore them, more information is needed about how they’re doing. The public can help identify and locate the issues. With the Big River Watch app, citizens can help identify problems, and will contribute to a national data set that will help build a picture of river health.
Taking part is easy, so check out the project website here!
