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 in overall good health according to the South East River Trust.
River pollution is coming from agriculture, dogs going for a swim that have been treated with tick medicine, from chemicals and plastics, salt and car fluids running off the roads. For a great write up on pollution in the rivers see:
Also, due to climate change are more risks of flooding. Scarcity of water due to droughts. To protect humans Water Companies abstract water from our rivers and clean it up removing chemicals making it safe for us. Wildlife does not have this luxury.
We’ve decided to join forces, work together, and do something about it. But with so many problems where do we start?
We formed B-VAR (Blackwater Valley Action for our Rivers). It’s early stages and there is much to organise and learn. First on the list is to have our name pronounced as B-VAR (like Beaver – almost) to catch on!
B-VAR is made up from members of Blackwater Valley Friends of the Earth, a local Climate Change Café, and local residents who care about nature and our rivers and want to do something about the poor state they are in.
The next challenge is to find out what is the actual state of our local waters. Wouldn’t it be great if they are healthier than we expect them to be? Sadly, a few tests last year showed high levels of pollution. Once we’ve established what the problems are and where, hopefully, with the right guidance, we can take steps to improve the water quality, and the habitat for wildlife that depend on it.
In our local area we have the Blackwater River which starts at Rowhill Nature Reserve in Aldershot, flows towards Farnborough, then Sandhurst, and ends when it meets the Lodden River at Swallowfield. We also have the River Hart which starts in Crondal, flowing through Fleet and towards the A30 where it meets the Whitewater at Bramshill, then flows into the Blackwater just before Swallowfield. The Lodden flows into the Thames.
Along the Blackwater and Hart Rivers we are just about to start testing and it’s been a steep learning curve. It’s also been reassuring to find out that there are several organisations out there already taking action, providing support, information, and funding for citizen science.
Next weekend (25th April 2025) we are taking part in the Great UK WaterBlitz where thousands of people across the nation will be doing phosphate and Nitrate testing. It’s easy, runs twice a year and anyone can take part (for more details see www.freshwater.org )
Freshwater (is part of Earthwatch) is also funding us to monthly nitrate and phosphate testing at several sites along the Blackwater, Hart, Cove and Fleets Brooks for a year. It’s really exciting to be able to test for a whole year and have the opportunity to get a good understanding about the water quality that we have/
A healthy river should have phosphate and nitrate but in low amounts. If we find readings that are high, it indicates the river is not in a healthy ecological state and will likely not be providing the habitat needed for diverse plant and wildlife.
We are also going to do River fly testing at some sites too, supported by the South East Rivers Trust. We’ve already had some training from the River Wey Trust, but will be adding to our knowledge and experience. The River Wey Organisation are leading the way doing inspiring work in our local neighbouring area, and making a big difference to improve their River.
Riverflies Testing is an important way to find out the water quality of a River and we will be conducting kick sampling at a few key places along the Blackwater. (for more information on Riverflies testing see www.riverflies.org ). If one or more of a type of RIverfly is missing it can indicate why the River is unhealthy. It means getting into the River in wellies and waders and sifting for invertebrates for some of our intrepid volunteers.
At some sites we will also be doing other types of testing (supported by the South East Rivers Trust) like for ammonia (could show high levels of raw sewage), pH (can be a sign of chemicals or heavy metals), and conductivity (another test for pollution).
We also have plans to test for E. coli too, but this is more expensive. Hopefully this will come via funding sourced from the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership which is still being processed (for more information see www.bvct.org,uk )
As we test each month we will expand our knowledge, share our findings, take informed action to prevent further pollution, help build up the rivers resilience by improving the water quality where we can.
We are taking inspiration from many other groups who are taking action and already making a big difference. Please check out these organisations for information, excellent examples of good work, and what has already been achieved so far:
The River Wey trust – www.riverweytrust.org.uk
GARN – https://www.garn.org/universal-declaration-of-river-rights/
River Windrush Action Group – https://www.windrushwasp.org/
Lake Windemere – https://www.savewindermere.com/
Water Rangers & Guildford Zero Carbon – https://www.zerocarbonguildford.org/river-quality-testing