Last September we saw the last six-monthly Big River Watch happening, when the Rivers Trust invited you to take part in a simple citizen science activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.
And this month we see the next session taking place, with testing and observing the River Sid happening this weekend of 25th April.
As the River Sid Catchment Group reminds us, you can still down load the River Watch app and spend 10- 15 minutes observing and recording the river to help protect and conserve it.
So, as a recap, The Big River Watch is very straightforward to join in:
A fun, free, and easy way to help rivers
Twice a year, we run a Big River Watch, and the next one takes place from 25th April to 1st May. Anyone can take part in these week-long citizen science surveys that help to build an important picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.
Download the Big River Watch app
You’ll need the free app to take part! Download it before you set off to complete your 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, we need more information about how they’re doing. You can help us identify and locate the problems. With the Big River Watch app, you can help us identify the issues, which help us influence policymakers and hold polluters to account.
How to take part:
- Step 1: Download the app
Download the free Big River Watch mobile app before visiting your chosen river.
- Step 2: Complete the survey by your river
Pick a riverside spot, spend 15 minutes watching the river, and answer the questions in the survey. You can complete the Big River Watch at your favourite local spot, or get to know somewhere new. The survey will ask you about what you see, from wildlife and plants to any signs of pollution. The in-app pollution and wildlife guides can help if you’re not sure what you’re looking at.
- Step 3: Upload your survey
Press submit, and upload your Big River Watch survey!
- Step 4: [Optional extra] Complete a Great UK WaterBlitz
New for 2025, if you’ve signed up for your kit in advance, you can also test the water and monitor nitrate and phosphate levels.
Then our river specialists will analyze the results.
The app and survey are open year-round, so you can keep recording useful information about your local river at any time, if you wish.
Share your experience and your photos on social media using #BigRiverWatch.
Watch your data flow in
Can you help us plug the gaps? We need surveys across the whole of the UK and Ireland, so if you live near or can visit a patch that hasn’t been surveyed yet, that would be a huge help.
The map below works best on a desktop or tablet.
Exploring on mobile? Click here for the full-screen data dashboard.
The results
Over the past three Big River Watches, we’ve worked together to submit nearly 8,000 surveys of our rivers. You can explore some of the data and see how your local river stacks up in our Big River Watch Data Dashboard.
See also our data summary blog posts from Sep 2023, May 2024, and Sep 2024.
Why is Big River Watch needed?
Rivers are suffering from a deluge of pollution, and all across the UK and Ireland our vital freshwater ecosystems are failing their health tests. To change this, we need to know where our rivers are having the problems and which problems are the most prevalent. The free and open Big River Watch survey is your chance to make a difference. Data gathered during Big River Watch can support policy change; helping turn the tide on plastics or stem the flow of untreated sewage. It also helps identify the best places for river clean-ups and litter picks, or places which would benefit the most from the creation of things like wetlands.
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