How is your local river looking this week?
Citizen science survey The Big River Watch is taking place in the UK and Ireland this week - 25 April - 1 May 2025.
All those interested in observing and recording the health of rivers are invited to participate, joining nearly 12,000 people who have joined the twice-yearly campaign since its launch in 2023.
Run by charity the Rivers Trust, no training is required to take part in the survey - all people need to do is download the Big River Watch app, spend 15 minutes by their local river and answer questions as prompted. Topics covered include the plants and wildlife in view, as well as visible signs of pollution or observations on flow levels.
The aim is to build a complete picture of river health, with results made available through a dashboard in near-real time, not only providing useful data for The Rivers Trust, but to individuals and communities.
"Big River Watch is a lovely opportunity to take 15 minutes and simply enjoy being by the water’s edge wherever you are.”
Michelle Walker, technical director at The Rivers Trust, said: “Environmental monitoring across our rivers is still far too limited, which is why getting out and taking part in The Big River Watch is so important – each survey gives us a snapshot of what might be happening along that river.
"It can help us identify where there might be pollution hotspots or where wildlife is thriving. When we bring it all together, it helps us build a fuller picture of river health – we want to make this the UK and Ireland’s biggest-ever citizen science survey of river health and create the change needed to restore our precious rivers.
"It’s not just good for rivers, many Big River Watchers report feeling calm and relaxed when taking part, Big River Watch is a lovely opportunity to take 15 minutes and simply enjoy being by the water’s edge wherever you are.”
Emma Brisdion, campaigns manager at The Rivers Trust, said: "In the past few years, we’ve seen public interest in – and concern about – our river health skyrocket, as awareness has grown about the dire state our rivers are in.
"Naturally, communities want to see action taken for these vital spaces and want more ways to get involved themselves.
"The Big River Watch offers one such opportunity. I hope that river-loving communities, from paddlers and anglers to walkers and wildlife watchers, will grasp this opportunity with both hands, and help us better understand the health of our blue spaces – something that’s essential for making informed decisions on how best to restore them.”
Take part here https://theriverstrust.org/tak...