CaSTCo: Using Citizen Science data for Healthier Rivers
The Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo) is a nationwide partnership that’s changing the way we care for our rivers. This project was designed to bring together more than 30 organisations, including ours, to bridge the gap between citizen science data and professional monitoring. By sharing data, tools, and expertise, CaSTCo has helped communities and decision-makers work together to make informed choices and influence the health of our waterways.
Partnership working and collaboration has always been a key part of our work. After all, no single organisation can tackle water quality, flooding, and habitat loss alone. By working together and learning from each other, we can take a coordinated, evidence-led approach that makes a lasting difference.
Through the project, partners have been trialling new ways of collecting and using data. From field visits and workshops to national meetups, CaSTCo has created a network of people who share knowledge, tools, and experiences to make catchment management more connected, consistent, and effective.
What is a RiverBlitz?
One of the most exciting parts of our work with CaSTCo has been running RiverBlitzes. These are action-packed one-day events that focus on very specific areas of the catchment.
During a RiverBlitz, volunteers work in small teams to collect data on water quality, river habitat, and biodiversity. They test for nutrients like phosphates and nitrates, record what’s living in the river, and assess how natural the surroundings are. Together, this provides a powerful “snapshot” of the river’s health at a specific point in time.
This year alone, our RiverBlitz events have taken place across five sub-catchments, each with 8–15 monitoring sites. The data our volunteers collect in just one day helps us to identify where issues may be occurring. But it also helps us to decide where we should focus future restoration efforts.
What makes RiverBlitz events so effective is the combination of science and local knowledge. Our volunteers live, work, and walk by these rivers every day. So, their observations help us build a richer, more detailed picture of what’s happening across the catchment.
What we’ve achieved together
One of the best examples of CaSTCo in action is our work at Edisford Bridge Bathing Water near Clitheroe. Here, our citizen scientists have been monitoring 15–20 sites every two weeks. This helps to identify the sources of bacterial pollution affecting this popular local swimming spot.
This project has been a true partnership between Ribble Rivers Trust, the Environment Agency (EA), and United Utilities (UU). In true collaborative style, each organisation brings their own expertise to the table. Impressively, both the EA and UU have said they trust the data our citizen scientists collect. This data is now being used alongside their own professional and lab-based monitoring results to guide future investigations and improvements.
As Helen Dix from the Environment Agency explains: “The Citizen Science data collected through the Edisford Riverblitzes has been invaluable in helping target our own monitoring investigations and regulatory activities. It has helped pinpoint tributaries which are having most impact and enabled us to take targeted action much sooner and more confidently than we would otherwise have been able. I’m certain the collaborative approach taken here will result in better and faster action to improve the water quality at Edisford.”
And Louisa Simpson-Brown from United Utilities adds: “Our collaboration with Ribble Rivers Trust at Edisford Bridge has opened up exciting opportunities for further bathing water investigations. It’s also enabled us to access locations for water quality testing that would typically be out of reach for us as a water company. As a result, we now have a more robust and rounded dataset, helping us to better understand water quality challenges and make more informed decisions moving forward.”
This is exactly what CaSTCo set out to achieve- empowering local people to collect trusted data that directly influences action.
Looking ahead
Although the CaSTCo project is now drawing to a close, its impact will continue to shape our work for years to come. We’re embedding RiverBlitzes and citizen science monitoring into as many projects as possible. Going forward, we will ensure that the data we gather continues to inform everything from farm advice and habitat restoration to community engagement.
Thanks to CaSTCo, we’ve proven that when people, science, and collaboration come together, real change is possible!
Rivers are at the heart of our local landscapes. Whether you’re casting a line, exploring a riverside trail, or simply basking in the beauty of nature, you can help protect these special places now, and for generations to come.
By becoming a Ribble Rivers Trust supporter for just £3 a month, you’ll be funding real, on-the-ground action.
Ready to make a difference? Learn more here: ribbletrust.org.uk/become-a-supporter
