BVFoE members have made the decision to focus on the water quality and environment in the Blackwater River and associated rivers and streams such as the Whitewater, the Hart and Cove Brook.
This is month 5 for testing the sites of the rivers in the Blackwater Valley. To get further details of the data please visit https://www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/bbb6188c5aa34bb5a7bbb4fd93299346 The featured image map with all the red markers does indicate that most river sites are in poor health with a few exceptions. Noteworthy observation from the water testers: This […]
Water testing volunteers sent these pictures to the What’s App group. A few images that record the water testing event, for the last weekend of August 2025, for the Rivers Hart and Blackwater and Cove Brook. Thank you for the pictures. It was sad to hear that the invasive species of Signal Crayfish were found […]
This weekend around 20 volunteers surveyed 23 sites on the waterways in the Blackwater Valley for nitrates and phosphates and also took a turgidity test. This is an amazing accomplishment to get this all together. The surveys are going to be repeated every month for the next few months. The data is uploaded onto the […]
Water is life. Without it we, all of the creatures and plants we share the planet with, can’t survive. It’s almost impossible to have missed all the media coverage lately about the sewage in our rivers, but it’s not the only problem. Shockingly in 2020, no river in England or Wales was classed as being […]
An enjoyable albeit chilly morning learning how to assess the health of the River Blackwater at Rowhill Nature Reserve. Alistair (trustee of River Wey Trust) showed how to collect and identify the collected sample – which surprisingly had more than 200 shrimp of varying sizes (plus a couple of leeches!). The morning concluded with chemical […]
This is a late entry to the website but an important one in that the fabulous presentation given by a trustee of the helped set the scene for progress made in forming a network of organisations and individuals committed to making the Blackwater River Valley and its network of tributaries healthier in terms of nature […]
Members and associates of Blackwater Valley FoE and the Climate Cafe took part in the Water Watch Campaign in 2024 and tested various sites on the Blackwater and Cove Brook. It is great to hear that – “Citizen science testing of river water quality will expand this year in an attempt to make the data […]
The latest good news is that the community groups involved in improving the watery environment of the Blackwater Valley have made a connection with the South East Rivers Trust (SETR) The Rivers Blackwater, Whitewater and Hart are 3 of 19 rivers and streams in the Loddon Catchment Area . According to the SERT all the […]
The Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust BVCT have selected us for a grant to help us conserve, protect and enhance the watery environment of the Blackwater Valley. This will be a collaborative project with volunteers from the Climate Cafe and other organizations and individuals. This is early days and we have to meet and work out […]