This is the 14th month of testing the Rivers Blackwater, Hart and Whitewater and the 2nd month of entering data with the Water Rangers. BVAR now have a steering group and a draft constitution. Volunteers are learning to use more complex equipment and working out how to enter the data onto the Water Rangers site. Exciting times – on the What’s App group there is plenty of conversation about methodology and sharing good practice.

“I have a jug on a piece of rope I throw in to collect the water and measuring the temperature is the first thing I do. The rope is about 3 metres long, might be an idea if access is an issue?”

The month of May has been hot and dry which has had an effect on the rivers, their water and the surrounding nature.

The River Blackwater

And some quotes from our Blackwater Volunteers:

“Tice’s Meadow Pea Bridge, all clear on nitrates and phosphates Turbidity 17, stream is very low at around 8cm and the iris and reeds are pretty thick, virtually no flow today”

“The water at Lakeside was covered in duckweed and not visibly flowing. Plenty of midges and mosquitos.”

At Lynchford Lane “The water was flowing but the surface was about 70% covered with duckweed. I don’t normally see insect life there but there was a nest of damsel flies.”

The Hart

And pictures from the volunteers.

There is usually an update on Crondall Village Pond the source of the River Hart. This time “the pond is very dry and no flow but I managed a small sample with a little worm in it. Reeds are overgrown.”

The good news is that there are “low readings for both Phosphate’s 0.02 and Nitrates 0.2.”
A possible explanation for these readings is that “the vegetation is sucking up the nitrates which is why they are so verdant”

At Bowling Alley -Water steady flow & clear <14NTU.. a little wren drinking .. hover bees on plants .. flies above the water.. abundant plant life