How data and evidence is used for managing river catchments, and how citizen science can provide valuable data.

1. Evidence and data to inform
decision making
Michelle Walker and Lucy Butler
The Rivers Trust

2. Importance of data and evidence
Empowering people
with knowledge
Developing a common
understanding
Collaborative
decision making Targeting
resources and
driving action
Evaluating success

3. CaBA Data Package
80+ datasets in the CaBA Data Package

4. Examples of Key Datasets
Ecological Status
Water Quality Issues
Pollution Incidents
Flood Risk from Rivers
Surface Water Flood Risk
Fisheries data

5. Open Data Portal Online http://theriverstrust.maps.arcgis.com/

6. Collaborative evidence sharing

7. Shared Information Platforms http://arcg.is/2lHwU8O

8. River Soar: Opportunity Mapping and
Prioritising Actions
http://arcg.is/1T7pmZ6

9. Citizen Science: Local knowledge, data and evidence

10. Citizen Science Resource Pack
http://bit.ly/CaBAmon

11. www.catchmentbasedapproach.org/volunteer-monitoring

12. Haltwhistle Burn
River Watch Volunteers
Monitoring rainfall, river levels, flood
events, water clarity, water quality
Sharing observations via social media,
mobile apps, website
Used to design runoff management
plans and improve flood models

13. Urban Pollution Monitoring
Trained volunteer task force
Respond to lower impact pollution incidents where EA
unable to attend
Adopt a suspected polluting outfall and take a weekly
survey to identify signs of pollution e.g. sewage fungus
Enable EA and Thames Water to trace misconnections

14. Identify misconnection hotspots
Test for man-made optical brighteners commonly found in
washing detergents
Paper or linen is dipped into water and tested at the side of the
river using a small UV torch, this takes less than 30 seconds
Identifying Misconnections

15. Litter monitoring
Water quality monitoring
http://www.thames21.org.uk/project/thames-river-watch/

16. Riverfly Partnership
~ 100 partner organisations
Standard simple monitoring protocol
Volunteers take and analyse a kick
sample in the field
Riverflies used as an indicator of water
quality to identify pollution issues http://www.riverflies.org/

17. Freshwater Watch
Global programme
Volunteers monitor key water
quality parameters
Scientists analyse the results
and provide feedback
Water Blitz days provide
valuable overview of a whole
catchment on a single day
https://freshwaterwatch.thewaterhub.org/

18. Turning information into action

19. Targeted tree planting based on multiple opportunities

20. Water Quality Catchment Assessments
WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE APPROACH https://youtu.be/R1RZ76otayc

21. Priority areas for catchment-
based flood risk interventions
Areas suitable for restoration or
creation of wetland
Mapping Ecosystem Services http://bit.ly/SevernESS

22. Sharing best practice http://bit.ly/CaBATools

23. York Observatory Water Quality Recorder:
http://arcg.is/2jmBQRZ
Submitting your data
York Observatory River Photo Map:
http://arcg.is/2jUlyk0

24. Thankyou for listening