Leeds River Monitor Volunteers - River Aire

Our rivers and their wildlife are under serious threat. Being in a city, there are numerous pressures on our river habitats and water quality – ranging from sewage, agricultural runoff, missed connections, and straightening and reinforcing river channels. However, despite this we are generally unaware of the exact condition many of our rivers are in.

In Leeds, there are already established citizen scientists regularly testing our rivers and streams for water quality and carrying out riverfly invertebrate surveys. However, many of these sites are linked to local ‘Friends Of’ groups and so there are quite a few gaps in this network. We are looking for volunteers who will carry out monthly monitoring at currently un-surveyed sites, using the same methodologies so the data is all comparable.

The results will feed into databases used by us and partners (such as the Aire Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency, and Water at Leeds part of the University of Leeds to explore the health of rivers in Leeds, and act as baselines to help justify projects, identify pollution events, and help rectify issues as we find them.

Riverfly Monitoring

Before heading out onto site, volunteers will be trained how to undertake surveys using the Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) methodology. The methodology uses kick sample techniques to count the number of 8 key species/families which can then be used to analyse river health. The training requires no prior knowledge, and will include species ID, how to undertake a kick sample, how to process your data and how to work safely in and around rivers. The Aire Rivers Trust undertake taster sessions and training events – these can be circulated as required.

Volunteers will need to attend essential training course for riverfly - dates to be confirmed.

Volunteers will then be involved with the monthly collection of Riverfly data, collected from within the channel itself, either with a member of staff or a second trained volunteer. This will include the kick sample itself, as well as the processing, separating and counting of species before returning the sample to the river.

Water Quality Testing

Later in the project you will be involved in collecting water samples as part of the UK Freshwater Blitz, a bi-annual chemical test to get a country-wide idea of what levels of two key chemicals, Nitrates and Phosphates are within our rives. Funding dependent, we are wanting to expand on this to do monthly water testing using the Water Rangers kits to test a handful of variables such as temperature, turbidity, phosphate, ammonia and chlorine. Full training, chemical test kits and PPE will be provided. This data will be fed into the ‘water rangers’ data platform to submit results and display data collected by us and other groups.

We are looking to establish volunteers working together as a pair at the following sites in Leeds and nearby:

• Nan Whins Wood (in between Pudsey and Whitehall)
• Post Hill Wood (near Pudsey)
• Town Close Hills (Kippax)
• Owl Wood (Castleford)
• A site in Gildersome (next to Morley)
• Various sites in Wyke Beck Valley

However, we would still love to hear from you if you have a local stretch of river that might be suitable. The main focus is to create a network of volunteers across areas of the River Aire so we are happy to explore other options where appropriate.