Bristol Avon RiverBlitz 2025: Calling All Citizen Scientists!
BART - 28th May 2025
Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) is excited to announce the dates for the annual Bristol Avon RiverBlitz. From July 4th to July 11th 2025, we invite everyone in the Bristol Avon area to participate in sampling your local rivers, streams, and ditches. This includes the River Avon and all the rivers and streams that flow into it including the River Chew, the Bristol Frome, the Somerset Frome, the River Trym and many more.
At BART, we believe that understanding the true state of our rivers requires evidence. To support existing data sets and help fill in the gaps in data across the Bristol Avon, we partner with volunteers to collect data on river health. The Bristol Avon RiverBlitz plays a key role in this effort, enabling extensive data collection over a short period.
During the Bristol Avon RiverBlitz, volunteers gather nutrient data and document observations at their chosen sampling sites. They measure nitrate and phosphate levels which when high indicate poor water quality caused by manmade inputs such as sewage or agricultural run-off. This data significantly enhances our knowledge of local rivers. The information collected by dedicated volunteers helps us identify pristine waters, pinpoint pollution hotspots, and provide a comprehensive overview of water quality and river health. The data from this event, along with previous years, is available on our website.
The RiverBlitz is also a fantastic way for volunteers to connect with nature, explore nearby rivers, and get to know the vibrant wildlife that inhabits these areas.
Simon Hunter, CEO of BART, said: “The Bristol Avon RiverBlitz is a powerful example of how local communities can come together to protect and restore our rivers. Every sample collected helps build a clearer picture of the health of our waterways, providing a dataset that highlights the potential issues and opportunities across the catchment. We’re proud to have championed citizen science for over eight years at the Trust, recognising the vital role it plays in shaping a healthier future for the Bristol Avon and its wildlife.”
Join Us: If the RiverBlitz sounds like something you’d like to be part of, make sure to sign up before Saturday 28th June to receive your free water quality testing kit in time for RiverBlitz week. The kit includes everything you need to conduct a RiverBlitz at your chosen river site, along with detailed instructions on how to accurately collect your data. To register for the Bristol Avon RiverBlitz 2025, please follow this link (registration to open by 1st June).
Join hundreds of other volunteer citizen scientists across the Bristol Avon river catchment as we work together to better understand and protect the health of our rivers!
Acknowledgements: We thank Wessex Water for partially funding Bristol Avon RiverBlitz 2025.