A RiverBlitz is a one-day event where citizen scientists team up to collect information about water quality and biodiversity. The aim is to collect as much data as we can, on everything from water pollution to habitat health, so we can ensure we work on the rivers that are most in need of our help.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Humans have coexisted beside the River Ribble for millennia, relying on the river for food, water, and transport. However, since the start of the Industrial Revolution, this relationship has become toxic, as have many rivers. Lancashire's once-thriving mill industry, and the devastating pollution it brought, may now be history, but our rivers face a legacy of mismanagement. Now, this legacy is combined with fresh challenges including urbanisation, expanding agriculture, and sewage pollution.
Solution
During a RiverBlitz, citizen scientists work together to collect information about three key river features: biodiversity including the insects, crustaceans, and fish that live in the water, water chemistry where we test for chemicals including phosphates and nitrate, and habitat quality where we assess the extent of human modification. When combined, this data shows us how healthy the river is and enables us to pinpoint the best course of action to restore the river back to nature.
