Water Quality Surveys
Citizen Science Water Monitoring
Why REACT became involved with monitoring water quality…
In February 2024 REACT screened the Cornwall Climate Care film ‘Down the Drain’ in Portscatho. The film delves into the issues around climate change as it affects Cornwall’s freshwater. Issues such as heavier rainfall leading to sewage overflows, flooding, soil run off, the effect of warming water on aquatic life and the carbon footprint of the water we use.
Those invited to lead discussions after the film included representatives from South West Water, the Westcountry Rivers Trust and volunteers from the Three Bays Wildlife Group. The Trust described in more detail their citizen science programme at over 1000 sites in the south west, monitoring, recording and reporting on water quality. The Wildlife group also sample river sites in and around St Austell for the national Riverfly project, using invertebrate indicators to record water quality.
Members were enthused by the projects described and decided that REACT could take part in monitoring river and stream water quality on the Roseland.
The problem…
We know that there are increasing incidents of fresh water pollution and of course our rivers and streams flow onto our beaches and along the coastline potentially affecting swimming water quality and marine life.
The data that volunteers collect can help target work and identify degrading water bodies and potentially spot pollution events so that they can be dealt with as soon as possible. REACT also wants to educate and engage people with their local rivers and create a community of volunteers invested in their local environment.
Pendower Stream…
REACT identified Pendower Stream as a good starting point for monitoring. The stream has its source amongst farming land but also receives treated water from Veryan sewage treatment works. It then flows down through woodland from Melinsey Wood passing through National Trust land before emerging from the trees and entering the sea on Pendower beach. We identified four accessible sites covering the length of the stream, registering these sites with the Westcountry Rivers Trust Citizen Science Investigations (CSI) team.
Each month volunteers visit the sites, taking photographs, recording observations on eg speed of flow and water level and collecting data using the kit provided by the CSI team. These measurements include, amongst others, phosphate levels and total dissolved solids. Entered via the online Cartographer application, we are already seeing trends and as more data is added be able to pick up any problems that might arise with water quality.
Project development…
REACT would like to extend monitoring to other streams across the Roseland and on the River Fal downstream from Tregony. The Fal is the largest river within our area and there have been pollution incidents with storm overflow sewage discharges in the past. The river enters the estuary below Sett Bridge and just beyond the salt marsh are the important sea grass beds which are the subject of a project led by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
Getting Involved….
Additional volunteers are very welcome to join us. The Westcountry Rivers Trust have suggested others sites across the Roseland that could be surveyed so there may be one near to you. Simple training is available on line with important safety information and you can initially join the volunteers already sampling to see if you would like to become involved.
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