River Wardens
Fineshade Brook
River Wardens
As part of the Building the Links for Rockingham Forest Project, East Mercia Rivers Trust recruited a network of volunteer River Wardens to carry out water quality testing across the watercourses of the Rockingham Forest.
Update by Katie Field, December 2024
_JPG.jpg)
33 people attended the River Warden Training courses and over 90 surveys have been carried out so far. A huge thank you to all the volunteers who have taken part in the project!
The citizen scientists used the FreshWater Watch method to record the following.
​
-
Basic visual observations of their chosen local waterbody, such as the surrounding land use, pollution sources, and algae.
-
Nutrient levels, using simple water-chemistry testing kits that measure the presence of nitrates and phosphates.
-
Turbidity (i.e., how clear or cloudy the water is), using a special optical test called a Secchi Tube.
​
A summary of the results can be seen by downloading this short report.
Further detail can be found on the FreshWater Watch website - Explore our data | FreshWater Watch
As well as training on water quality testing, we undertook water safety training with Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue, and Priority Habitat Training with the Freshwater Biological Association. (see below)
The River Wardens project has finished for now, but we hope that future funding will allow Citizen Scientists to get back out and learn more about the health of our local rivers and streams. Keep in eye on the website for future opportunities.
Discovering Priority Habitats
This freshwater monitoring initiative is being delivered in partnership between Natural England and the Freshwater Biological Association. They are aiming to train people as citizen scientists to carry out ‘naturalness assessments’ on smaller rivers, streams, and lakes; areas that usually get missed by traditional monitoring methods. The collected data will inform Natural England in identifying and prioritising waterbodies for protection and restoration, as well as providing you with accessible information about the condition of your local water habitats. ​
Have a look at the Freshwater Biological Association's website for more details about this citizen-science initiative.
