Eyes on the River Stour: Citizen Science as the frontline of water quality monitoring

 Iain Goodall (currently Head of Mass Spectrometry Support for the Faculty of Engineering and Science, University of Greenwich) is giving a presentation following the Friends of Westgate Parks AGM. Iain will discuss the types of pollutant affecting the Stour, where these pollutants might be originating and how they impact water quality, and, most importantly, how we can get involved with water quality monitoring ourselves to safeguard our river, the Kentish Stour.

Along the Kentish Stour can be found many Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserves, and an internationally significant ‘RAMSAR’ wetland site; all are extremely environmentally sensitive locations. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus are being transported along the Stour from farmland, expanding urbanisation that overloads existing sewerage and drainage networks, and multiple wastewater treatment plants pumping into the Stour, severely affecting these precious habitats.

Monitoring of riverine water quality by regulatory bodies is fragmented due to budget cuts, often only occurring once per month at best, and with such low-frequency monitoring it is impossible to get a true picture of what’s going on in a river system. As a result, monitoring by volunteers has increased to fill the gap left by regulatory bodies, with Citizen Scientist groups now collecting the majority of local environmental and water quality data.

Doors open 6.30pm and AGM starts at 7pm

Link to event:

https://facebook.com/events/s/friends-of-westgate-parks-agm/26656060374024301