Each year Saltford Parish Council shares information about Bristol Avon River Trust’s (BART) RiverBlitz, an initiative for ‘citizen scientists’ to sample water from local rivers, including the River Avon in Saltford. Details on how to order a free water quality testing kit are in the press release below.
More information about water quality at the River Avon in Saltford is available on our ‘River water quality at Saltford‘ page.
This is BART’s eighth year of delivering RiverBlitz, and they are hopeful that enthusiastic citizen scientists will sign up in record numbers to help gather important data on the health of rivers and streams across the Avon catchment.
Press release from BART:
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) is excited to announce the dates for the annual Bristol Avon RiverBlitz. From July 5th to July 12th, 2024, we invite everyone in the Bristol Avon area to participate in sampling your local rivers, streams, and ditches.
At BART, we believe that understanding the true state of our rivers requires evidence. To support existing data sets and help fill in the gaps in data across the Bristol Avon, we’ve partnered with volunteers to collect data on river health. The Bristol Avon RiverBlitz plays a key role in this effort, enabling extensive data collection over a short period.
During the Bristol Avon RiverBlitz, volunteers gather nutrient data and document observations at their chosen sampling sites. This data significantly enhances our knowledge of local rivers. The information collected by our dedicated volunteers helps us identify pristine waters, pinpoint pollution hotspots, and provide a comprehensive overview of water quality and river health. The data from this event, along with previous years, is available on our website: Bristol Avon RiverBlitz.
The RiverBlitz is also a fantastic way for volunteers to connect with nature, explore nearby rivers, and get to know the vibrant wildlife that inhabits these areas.
Join Us: If the RiverBlitz sounds like something you’d like to be part of, make sure to sign up before July 1st to receive your free water quality testing kit in time for RiverBlitz week. The kit includes everything you need to conduct a RiverBlitz at your chosen river site, along with detailed instructions on how to accurately collect your data. To register for the Bristol Avon RiverBlitz 2024, please follow this link: https://bristolavonriverstrust.org/riverblitz/register
BART will also be hosting two in person events where participants can if they wish, collect their kits and learn how to undertake sampling in person. Details for the events are located on our registration page.
Simon Hunter, CEO of BART, shared his thoughts: “The RiverBlitz is a wonderful opportunity for people to get actively involved in monitoring their local watercourses. It helps us better understand the condition of our water environment and guides future protection efforts. The data collected by our volunteers allows us to identify areas most at risk and determine where management and restoration efforts will be most effective. Our volunteers are part of a growing citizen science movement that underscores the importance of local stewardship in safeguarding our valuable freshwater resources and ecosystems.”
Join hundreds of other volunteer citizen scientists across the Bristol Avon river catchment as we work together to better understand and protect the health of our rivers!