Can citizen science help bring our rivers back from the brink?

Back from the brink: The Rivers Trust explains why we need better data to tackle extreme river environments

Rivers can be naturally wild and unpredictable but with increasing weather extremes and multiple sources of pollution, they are becoming extreme environments even for the wildlife that relies on them.

For the wildlife that call rivers their homes, these environmental pressures are proving too much: the Atlantic salmon, the water vole, the European eel, and the white-clawed crayfish are classed as endangered and many species of riverfly, key indicators of river health, are also in decline with devastating effects on the ecosystem.

Why must we keep on swimming in rivers?

Tackling this extreme environment needs to start with robust environmental data. The latest Water Framework Directive data revealed the Environment Agency was reducing monitoring of rivers deemed low risk, leaving them open to problems going unnoticed. The EA must go further, incorporating citizen science and other sources of data to build a much fuller picture of river health.

There are many citizen science opportunities across the Rivers Trust Movement, including riverfly monitoring, barrier surveying, water quality testing and the Big River Watch in April and September, to name just a few.

On your next river swim, consider taking part in a citizen science activity at the same time: Contact your local Rivers Trust organisation to become part of the solution.