Supporting Citizen Science

Technical Advisory Framework

Version 1, March 2025

Introduction

The Environment Agency is working with partners to develop tools, guidance and frameworks to support a standardised and connected approach to citizen science monitoring of the water environment.

This Technical Advisory Framework has been co-produced with the citizen science community and has been designed to help individuals and groups develop new, or review existing, citizen science monitoring programmes that meet their needs.

Version 1 of the framework focuses primarily on water quality and quantity, with an emphasis on freshwater environments (rivers and lakes). Additional information relating to estuarine and coastal waters will be included in Version 2.

What is the Purpose of Citizen Science?

Citizen science involves public participation and collaboration in all aspects of scientific research. It can be adapted and applied to a wide variety of environmental situations and disciplines.

Citizen science can operate:

Across Different Scales

• National continuous projects
• Local studies
• Short-term monitoring activities
• Long-term monitoring programmes

With Different Skills Requirements

• Activities requiring no previous knowledge or training
• Activities requiring specialist training and technical expertise

To Achieve a Wide Range of Aims

• Measuring environmental change
• Measuring societal change
• Mapping objects and features
• Collecting environmental observations
• Supporting scientific research and evidence gathering

Why is this Framework Needed?

No single organisation is responsible for collecting all the data needed to protect and manage the environment effectively.

Understanding the environment and informing action requires the combination of many sources of information and observations. Citizen science provides a valuable opportunity for the Environment Agency (EA) to engage communities in scientific research, environmental monitoring and local decision-making.

Citizen science can help:

• Build stronger relationships with communities and stakeholders.
• Increase understanding of local environmental issues.
• Support collaborative action.
• Provide additional environmental intelligence.

Participation in citizen science and public interest in improving local environments continues to grow.

This increase in participation is both encouraging and inspiring. However, with limited resources, the Environment Agency cannot support every initiative or use every dataset collected by citizen scientists. Decisions therefore need to be made on a case-by-case basis.

This framework, together with the Environment Agency's advisory role, aims to support well-designed citizen science monitoring initiatives that:

• Include appropriate quality assurance measures.
• Generate reliable information.
• Increase confidence in monitoring results.
• Provide data that can be used by the Environment Agency and other organisations to better understand the environment.
• Help inform environmental improvement actions.

How to Use This Framework

This framework is divided into eight key principles which form a structured approach to guide volunteers, coordinators and stakeholders through the process of planning, conducting and using citizen science monitoring projects. It outlines the steps needed to ensure that the data collected is consistent, high quality and meaningful. 

We recommend working through the key principles in this framework with your catchment partnership, citizen science community or other local partners to benefit from their collective knowledge, experience and skills. 

This framework should be used as a monitoring pathway and continuously revisited and reviewed. By following these principles, and using the linked guidance and information within, citizen science initiatives can become more meaningful and useful for both participants and stakeholders.

Given the wide range of motivations for participating in citizen science, the framework does not recommend specific equipment, methodologies or initiatives. The framework will be updated over time to reflect changes in understanding, priorities and advances in monitoring technology and methodology, with continued engagement from the citizen science community. 

Where to Start: Understanding the Purpose and the Outcome

The first four principles of this framework are designed to help you plan your monitoring activity.

Before you begin, think about what you want to achieve through citizen science. For example:

• Participate in a one-off activity requiring no training or previous knowledge.
• Meet new people and become part of a community.
• Develop new skills and commit to regular participation.
• Further develop existing citizen science skills and experience. 

If you are a volunteer coordinator, community group leader or stakeholder planning a citizen science initiative, consider:

• What information would you like to collect?
• Why is this information needed?
• Is citizen science the right approach?

Guidance from Other Organisations

• UK Environmental Observation Framework (UKEOF) Guide to Citizen Science
• UKCEH and SEPA: Choosing and Using Citizen Science
• Ten Principles of Citizen Science (European Citizen Science Association) 

Once you have established what you want to achieve, you can work through the framework to plan an effective approach and develop a collaborative monitoring plan. 

Developing a Collaborative Monitoring Plan

The eight principles of this framework have been developed and informed by existing guidance on environmental monitoring and planning, including:

• Monitoring Guidance – River Restoration Centre
• UKEOF Unifying Principles for Environmental Monitoring

Each principle provides support and direction to help develop a well-structured collaborative monitoring plan that delivers:

• Consistent monitoring
• Reliable monitoring
• Robust monitoring
• Accessible processes
• Useful outputs for volunteers and partners with different levels of experience and expertise

Collaborative Monitoring Plans

The Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo) has produced guidance and templates to support the development of collaborative monitoring plans. 

The guidance from CaSTCo and the eight principles encourage you to consider:

• Why monitoring and data collection are needed.
• Where monitoring should take place.
• When monitoring should take place.
• How monitoring should be carried out.
• How monitoring data can be used to maximise impact.

Before Developing Your Plan

Consider the following:

Biosecurity

Follow biosecurity measures to minimise and prevent the spread of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), including the Check, Clean, Dry protocol. 

Sustainable Use of Equipment and Consumables

Ensure the safe use and disposal of reagents and consumables while following the waste hierarchy:

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle 

Review available case studies and guidance on reducing avoidable plastics in laboratories and environmental monitoring activities.

What are the principles and why is it important to consider them?

By following these principles, you'll ensure that your monitoring efforts are not only scientifically robust but also meaningful and impactful for your community and the broader scientific community. Each principle in this pathway helps you navigate the complexities of citizen science monitoring, from connecting with local partners to sharing findings in accessible and engaging ways.

The Eight Principles

1. Connect and collaborate
   Work in partnership to achieve common goals.

2. Build on and learn from existing monitoring
   Explore what, where and how others are monitoring in your local area to inform your monitoring plan.

3. Define purpose
   Clearly define the objectives and goals of your individual participation, planned citizen science initiative or monitoring programme.

4. Develop a well-designed monitoring plan
   Set an appropriate level and accuracy of monitoring design to meet project objectives.

5. Follow quality control measures
   Ensure all processes meet established standards of quality and include evidence of training, calibration and validation steps in the monitoring plan. 

6. Interpret and understand your findings
   Explore the interactions between parameters measured to understand the health of your local waterbody.

7. Communicate and share outcomes
   Maximise the impact of your results by sharing outcomes in accessible, FAIR and visual ways with relevant stakeholders.

8. Apply outputs to actions
   Use the results to inform action and environmental improvement. 

Citizen Science Monitoring Pathway

The framework is designed as a continuous cycle:

1. Connect and collaborate
2. Build on and learn from existing monitoring
3. Define purpose
4. Develop a well-designed monitoring plan
5. Follow quality control measures
6. Interpret and understand your findings
7. Communicate and share outcomes
8. Apply outputs to actions

The outputs and learning from each stage should help inform future monitoring and continuous improvement.

1. Connect and Collaborate

Work in partnership to achieve common goals.

Why is this important?

Citizen science involves collaborating with and learning from others, including local environmental groups, catchment partnerships and other citizen science projects. Identifying and connecting with local stakeholders can help you:

• Identify shared objectives.
• Work together through cooperative monitoring.
• Identify locations that would benefit most from monitoring.
• Better understand environmental pressures affecting a catchment. 

Citizen science initiatives should be led by the organisation best suited to deliver them. This is not always the Environment Agency. Although the Environment Agency often provides funding support and technical expertise, it aims wherever possible to work with and through partners.

How can I find out more?

Find your catchment

• Catchment Data Explorer

Get in touch with your local Catchment Partnership

• Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)

• Catchment Partnership Pages

Collaborate with academic institutions

Contact your local university to find out about current and future projects, research opportunities and potential areas for collaboration.

2. Build on and Learn from Existing Monitoring

Explore what, where and how others are monitoring in your local area to inform your monitoring plan.

Why is this important?

Finding out where and what others monitor can help you to understand what data is already available that you can benefit from, as well as identify gaps or opportunities to complement these data and prioritise monitoring methods and locations.

How can I find out more?

We recommend getting in touch with your local catchment partnership to find out what citizen science and environmental monitoring may already be happening in your local area.

Useful Links

Home – Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)
https://catchmentbasedapproach.org/

Catchment Partnership Pages | Catchment Data Explorer
https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/v/c3-plan/CatchmentPartnerships

Explore what and where the Environment Agency monitor

The Environment Agency’s environmental monitoring data is open to the public and accessible through the Defra data portal and signposted through the Environment Agency’s Water Hub.

Site locations and results can be visualised on the River Basin Management Plan maps.

Data within each explorer is also accessible through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), a programming language which provides access to the raw data visualised in these applications.

Watch this video to find out more:

What is an API?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj1M6wH7WIM

Data Access Resources

Defra Data Services Platform
https://environment.data.gov.uk/

Water Data Explorer
https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/data-publications-water

River Basin Management Plan: Maps
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/73ed24b6d30441648f24f043e75ebed2/page/Introduction/

Environment Agency data can support your monitoring plan by:

• Informing site selection
• Providing reference conditions
• Providing complementary and background data
• Providing baseline information

Further information on what the Environment Agency monitors, tools to access and interpret this data, and links to useful plans and reports are outlined in Table 2.

Explore data from others which may be useful

• National Storm Overflow Hub for England

• UK Water Resources Portal

• National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes

Box 1. Case Study: Smarter Waters – River Chess (Tier 2)

The River Chess Smarter Water Catchment project has used a series of complementary monitoring techniques to understand the issues and monitor actions to restore this chalk stream catchment.

The project has involved partners from statutory agencies, non-governmental organisations, water companies and academic institutions, with an emphasis on working with communities and citizen science throughout.

Monitoring has included:

• Continuous monitoring sondes measuring water quality
• Mud Spotter surveys during wet weather
• Sediment fingerprinting to trace sediment sources
• Testing of emerging chemicals
• Before and after restoration habitat surveys using MoRPh
• Flow monitoring
• Water vole population monitoring
• Extensive Riverfly surveys

Using a combination of techniques from both citizen scientists and science professionals has enabled a greater depth of understanding both spatially and over time, increasing confidence in where investment is needed to improve river condition.

This work has been run alongside the Tracking the Impact project which focuses on terrestrial species within the catchment, including:

• Breeding birds
• Butterflies
• Plants

Recognising the importance of the surrounding landscape as part of the whole catchment ecosystem.

How are we using this information?

• Volunteer flow monitoring is plugged into Environment Agency databases and directly used by hydrometry teams to fill spatial and temporal gaps.
• Geomorphology teams are advising on sediment fingerprinting and feeding results into restoration plans and fisheries work.
• Riverfly data is providing greater understanding of where populations of invertebrates occur across catchments, including invasive species.

The discovery of the winterbourne stonefly by Riverfly volunteers at the top of the River Chess helped drive the Environment Agency’s intermittent stream monitoring programme across chalk catchments.

Further Information

Citizen Science | River Chess Catchment | Smarter Water Catchment
https://chesssmarterwatercatchment.org/citizen-science/

Chiltern Chalk Stream Project | The Ripple Effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDbWg2DulXk

Mud Spotter
https://modularriversurvey.org/mud-spotter/

Tracking the Impact Project
https://www.chilterns.org.uk/flagship-projects/tracking-the-impact/

3. Define Purpose

Clearly define the objectives and goals of your individual participation, planned citizen science initiative or monitoring programme.

Why is this important?

To maximise the impact of your monitoring, you should be outcome-driven. Setting clear and realistic project objectives, agreed by all those involved, will help direct your monitoring plan and ensure the data collected is relevant and impactful.

When considering the intended outcomes for your project, consider:

• The skills, motivation, accessibility needs and level of commitment of volunteers and the local community.
• Recruitment, recognition and retention of volunteers. 
• Realistic timescales that allow for contingency planning and account for funding restrictions. 

Figure 1: Balance Between Investment in Time and Effort

Projects can vary significantly in the balance between effort and duration:

• Short time frame, low effort
• Short time frame, high effort
• Longer time frame, low effort
• Longer time frame, high effort

For example, a WaterBlitz event may involve a short timeframe and relatively low investment, whereas a comprehensive monitoring programme such as the River Chess case study requires substantial investment in equipment, training and long-term commitment. 

A Four-Tier Approach to Citizen Science Monitoring

In collaboration with CaSTCo and environmental non-government organisations (eNGOs), a four-tier approach has been developed to help categorise monitoring activities and identify the methods and initiatives most suitable for different project objectives.

This approach encourages groups to consider:

• Cost
• Time
• Skills development
• Data quality
• Data quantity

Deciding on an appropriate tier at the start of project planning can help inform the monitoring plan and provide clarity when working through the rest of the framework. 

Data and information from all tiers are valuable and contribute to a wider understanding of environmental health and catchment management. 

Tier Structure

Increasing tiers generally involve:

• Higher costs
• More training
• Greater quality assurance
• More robust monitoring methods

Participation levels and spatial/temporal coverage tend to decrease as monitoring becomes more specialised.

How Can I Find Out More?

Setting Your Primary Purpose

Guidance: Defining Your Primary Monitoring Purpose (CaSTCo)
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/monitoring-purpose/

Defining Objectives and Environmental Questions

Defining Your Purpose (CaSTCo)
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/defining-your-purpose/ 

Setting Biodiversity Monitoring Objectives (JNCC Resource Hub)
https://hub.jncc.gov.uk/assets/f592f2bc-ab02-4acd-a615-90d5fe9c9069

Measuring Project Impact

Measuring Impact of Citizen Science – Indicators
https://about.mics.tools/indicators

Making a Difference (CaSTCo)
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/making-a-difference/

Designing a WaterBlitz

If your project involves running a WaterBlitz event such as The Big River Watch:

The Big River Watch
https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch

Guidance: Designing a WaterBlitz (CaSTCo)
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/river-blitz/

RiverBlitz Review – Ribble Rivers Trust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcwF09NQFhs

The activities within this table are generally characterised against the different monitoring tiers, although future activities may not fit neatly within a single tier.

Table 3. Description and examples of tiers of citizen science monitoring. Activities within this table would generally be characterised against the different tiers as follows, although there may be legitimate reasons why future activities would not fit neatly within a particular tier.

Principle 5: Follow Quality Control Measures

Ensure all processes meet established standards of quality and include evidence of training, calibration and validation steps in the monitoring plan.

Why is this important?

Putting measures in place to ensure that monitoring methods, data entry processes and data analysis procedures meet agreed standards will improve the quality of your data and provide greater confidence in your findings.

Demonstrating to others that your data has followed a quality assurance process will also improve:

• Trustworthiness
• Credibility
• Value
• Potential use of the data

The level of quality assurance applied within a monitoring plan can be cross-referenced to the tiered monitoring approach described under Principle 3 and Table 3.

This helps the Environment Agency and other organisations assess where data and information collected under different tiers can be used to maximise impact while ensuring that the right data is used for the right purpose.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance is the process used to assess the:

• Quality
• Accuracy
• Reliability
• Repeatability

of monitoring methods and the data they produce.

This increases confidence in the data and can increase the weight given to that information within a wider evidence base.

A quality assurance process should include:

• Processes for training new volunteers.
• Refresher training for existing volunteers.
• Comparison and cross-referencing of equipment.
• Procedures for checking, maintaining and calibrating equipment.
• Procedures for checking and cleaning datasets.
• Error identification and correction processes.

Quality Control

Steps to Check Sample Accuracy

• Sample replication and verification.
• Blind sampling checks.
• Random sampling checks.

Collecting good-quality data is the foundation of any monitoring programme. Quality considerations should be built into a project from the outset.

Additional Guidance

Quality Assurance Handbook and Toolkit for Participatory Science Projects (US EPA)
https://www.epa.gov/participatory-science/quality-assurance-handbook-and-toolkit-participatory-science-projects

Marine Biological Association (DASSH) Best Practice - Verification and Quality Control Schemes
https://www.dassh.ac.uk/citizen-science/best-practice/transcript#plan-verification_and_quality_control_qc_schemes

Visualising Data

Basic visualisation of data using graphs or maps can help identify:

• Errors in site locations.
• Incorrect grid references.
• Anomalous results.
• Unexpected trends.
• Data entry mistakes.

Visual checks can often identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Selecting Monitoring Equipment

Choosing appropriate equipment is essential for generating quality-assured data.

Consider the following:

• Does the kit or instrument have quality certification?
• What is the principle of operation?
• Is the methodology accepted by recognised accreditation bodies in Europe or North America?
• Are reagents required?
• Are reagents safe for volunteers or children to handle?
• How frequently does the equipment require calibration?
• What maintenance requirements exist?
• What are the lower and upper limits of detection?
• What level of precision and accuracy is provided?
• What resolution is offered?
• Is the equipment robust and suitable for field conditions?
• Is the equipment cost-effective?

For example, some phosphorus monitoring kits may not detect concentrations at the lower limits required for environmental assessment.

Consistency in Recording Your Data

Data Input

• Do not leave blanks. Create a consistent format to identify whether a sample was attempted but no data were collected.
• For example, adding a separate tick box for "No Sample Possible" with a notes field explaining why is good practice.
• A second tick box for "Site Dry" may be useful in drought-prone areas.
• Do not use zeros to represent "no sample taken". Zeros should only be used to represent genuine results.
• Check whether your zero values are genuine measurements.
• Understanding the lower detection limits of your equipment will help determine this.
• For example, some equipment may be accurate only to ±0.04 (or 5% for higher readings), so a recorded value of zero may actually mean ≤0.04.

Site Locations

• Be consistent when naming sites.
• If a site location changes, use a new site name.
• If a site location name is updated with more accurate information, update all instances of that location.

If using apps to record data:

• Apps often record the phone's GPS location and may create a new location record for each sample.
• Consider how your survey is configured to avoid creating multiple site references for the same monitoring site.
• Alternatively, create fixed site names and assign the same National Grid Reference to all records from that location.

Site Naming Guidance

Site names:

• Must be unique.
• Must follow a consistent naming format.
• Should not mix formats such as A, B, C and 1, 2, 3 or 1A, 1B, 1C.

If site names contain location information, build capacity into the naming system. For example:

• Use 0001 to 0099 moving downstream.
• Use 0100 to 0199 for the first tributary.
• Continue this structure for additional tributaries.

Site names should not include:

• Special characters
• Punctuation
• Brackets

These can create issues when uploading or managing data.

Box 5. Case Study: Ongoing Quality Assurance for Citizen Science in East Anglia (Tier 2)

The accuracy of data generated by trained citizen scientists using digital photometers on the Rivers Lark and Wensum was investigated as part of the CaSTCo demonstration catchment programme.

A pilot quality assurance process was developed to assess consistency in volunteer-generated data.

As part of the process:

• Colourless phosphate and ammonia standard solutions were supplied by The Rivers Trust through a commercial partner.
• Solutions were divided into labelled tubes that identified solution type but not concentration.
• Citizen scientists from the Wensum, Lark, Cam and Waveney catchments tested these control samples using their standard monitoring procedures.
• Results were returned to a designated Quality Assurance Lead.
• A subset of samples was independently analysed by the Environment Agency laboratory for verification.

Findings

The results showed that:

• Handheld photometers remained broadly accurate for phosphate testing.
• Ammoniacal nitrogen testing could still clearly identify potentially acutely toxic concentrations.
• Low battery levels affected photometer accuracy.
• Temperature variations during transport and storage influenced results because lower temperatures slow reaction rates.

Volunteers whose results fell outside expected ranges were contacted to review:

• Equipment condition
• Monitoring procedures
• Sampling technique

Lessons Learned

The work highlighted the importance of:

• Replacing handheld photometer batteries regularly.
• Standardising monitoring techniques, particularly for ammonia testing where guidance does not clearly define reagent mixing procedures.
• Controlling temperature during transport and storage wherever possible.

Recording Your Data Digitally

Where possible, record monitoring data digitally.

If paper forms are used, ensure that data are transferred to digital systems and checked for errors.

Benefits of Recording Data Digitally

• Apps may contain built-in validation checks that help reduce recording errors.
• Smartphones contain built-in GPS with an average accuracy of less than 50 metres.

Disadvantages of Recording Data Digitally

• Requires access to smartphones or IT equipment.
• Phone signal or Wi-Fi may not always be available.
• Battery life can be a limitation.
• Requires a level of digital literacy and confidence.

Principle 6: Interpret and Understand Your Findings

Explore the interactions between parameters measured to understand the health of your local waterbody.

Why is this important?

Rivers, estuaries and coastal waters vary naturally across both space and time. Parameters monitored within and around a waterbody do not act independently but interact with one another.

Collating and analysing:

• Your own monitoring results
• Data collected by others
• Existing environmental datasets

can help identify patterns and trends and provide a broader understanding of waterbody health.

Visual summaries such as:

• Graphs
• Charts
• Maps

can help demonstrate how parameters vary and interact.

Looking for patterns over time and across locations allows comparison:

• Between sites
• Within sites
• Across catchments

and can help identify spatial changes.

However, each waterbody responds differently according to its physical, ecological and chemical characteristics. Care should therefore be taken when comparing data between locations.

How Can I Find Out More?

Freshwater: Rivers and Lakes

Further guidance to help understand river types and interpret Environment Agency data:

River Typology Locations

River Basin Management Plan Maps
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/73ed24b6d30441648f24f043e75ebed2/page/Location/

River Type for Water Framework Directive (WFD) Classification

See Appendix 1.

Water Quality Interpretation

• General Water Quality Parameter Interactions (supplementary information)
• Template for Site-Specific Water Quality Interactions (Appendix 3)

Lakes

Long-Term Lakes Monitoring

https://www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/projects/long-term-lakes-monitoring

Ecological Classification of UK Lakes Using Aquatic Macrophytes

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-ecological-classification-of-uk-lakes-using-aquatic-macrophytes

Marine and Coastal Waters

Further coastal monitoring guidance will be included in future versions of the framework.

Current Water Framework Directive UKTAG guidance includes:

Transitional and Coastal Waters – Saltmarsh

https://www.wfduk.org/resources/transitional-and-coastal-waters-saltmarsh

Coastal Waters – Rocky Shore Macroalgae

https://www.wfduk.org/resources/coastal-waters-rocky-shore-macroalgae

Principle 7: Communicate and Share Outcomes

Maximise the impact of your results by sharing outcomes in accessible, FAIR and visual ways with stakeholders.

Why is this important?

To maximise the impact of your data, once you have collected it, you should aim to share it.

We recommend following an Open by Default approach and considering options to share your data both as:

• Raw data
• Visual outputs
• Maps
• Dashboards
• Graphs
• Reports

This helps stakeholders access your information, gain insights and maximise its value.

Open by Default

Follow an Open by Default approach to data sharing wherever possible.

Making data accessible maximises the likelihood that it can be used by others and increases opportunities for environmental improvements by enabling a wider range of stakeholders to draw insights from it.

The Environment Agency follows an Open by Default approach and publishes much of its data under the Open Government Licence.

Further Information

Open Government Licence
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Environment Agency Data Licensing – Simpler, Easier, Faster
https://defradigital.blog.gov.uk/2016/02/11/environment-agency-data-licensing-simpler-easier-faster/

Consider Advice from Others

Principles of Good Data Governance

https://castco.org/knowledge-base/principles-of-good-data-governance/

Open Data in the Water Industry

https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/open-data-in-the-water-industry/#H2Open

What is Open Data and Why Should We Care?

https://theodi.org/insights/explainers/what-is-open-data-and-why-should-we-care/

Visualising Yours and Others' Data

Visualising data can help others understand:

• What data have been collected
• Where data were collected
• Trends and patterns in results
• Relationships between different datasets

Combining your data with:

• Other citizen science datasets
• Environment Agency open data
• Data from partner organisations

can provide a more complete understanding of environmental conditions.

Transparency

It is good practice to communicate the following information alongside your data.

This information is known as metadata and provides important context.

Include:

• How data were collected.
• Where data were collected.
• How often monitoring was carried out.
• Who collected the data.
• Methods used.
• Equipment used.
• Quality assurance processes in place (see Principle 5).

Box 6. Case Study: WyeViz Data Visualisation Tool

Various citizen science groups across the River Wye catchment have formed the Wye Alliance.

The Wye Alliance is a collection of organisations that follow aligned methodologies when collecting data throughout the catchment.

This collaborative approach helps groups combine:

• Data
• Expertise
• Decision making

Data are uploaded into a shared EpiCollect database as a single dataset rather than separate individual datasets.

This consistent approach helps improve accuracy and provides the Environment Agency with a better understanding of the complexity of the catchment.

Further Information

Citizen Science in the Wye | Engage Environment Agency
https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/citizen-science

Introduction to WyeViz (The Wye Alliance Citizen Science Dashboard)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEyTPuq22kA

Sensitive Data

Personal information is subject to legal protection, including:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Data Protection legislation

Personal information should be:

• Stored securely
• Protected appropriately
• Not made publicly available unless permitted

It is the responsibility of those collecting and managing data to ensure they comply with applicable legislation.

You may also have:

• Agreements with landowners
• Other restrictions on publishing data
• Concerns about publishing findings without appropriate context

Where restrictions are necessary, systems should allow data access to be controlled whilst remaining Open by Default and FAIR wherever possible.

FAIR Data Principles

Once collected, consideration should be given to how data will be:

• Stored
• Found
• Accessed
• Reused

If you are collecting data as part of a national monitoring initiative, much of this work may already be done through their data portal.

Consider storing data on a platform with an API.

What is an API?

An Application Programming Interface (API) allows systems and users to access data directly and can significantly improve the FAIRness of datasets.

We Recommend

Ensure data are findable by all organisations involved in management and decision making.

For example:

• Inform your Catchment Partnership about what data you are collecting.
• Inform them where data are stored.
• Provide metadata and supporting information.

Useful Links

Catchment Based Approach (CaBA)
https://catchmentbasedapproach.org/

Catchment Partnership Pages | Catchment Data Explorer
https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/v/c3-plan/CatchmentPartnerships

F - Findable

The first step in reusing data is being able to find it.

Metadata and data should be easy to find for both:

• People
• Computers

Recommendations:

• Ensure metadata accompany your datasets.
• Follow good data governance principles.

Principles of Good Data Governance
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/principles-of-good-data-governance/

A - Accessible

Once users find the data, they need to understand:

• How to access it
• Any authentication requirements
• Any permissions needed

Consider whether restricting access is necessary and whether doing so limits the usefulness of the dataset.

I - Interoperable

Data should be structured so they can be:

• Combined with other datasets
• Analysed using different software tools
• Incorporated into workflows and visualisation platforms

R - Reusable

The ultimate goal of FAIR is to optimise reuse.

To support reuse:

• Metadata should be comprehensive.
• Data should be clearly described.
• Methods should be documented.
• Others should be able to replicate or combine the work.

If information is shared only as a graph or map without access to the underlying dataset, it is not fully reusable.

Principle 8: Apply Outputs to Actions

Use the results to inform action and environmental improvement.

Why is this important?

As part of your monitoring, it is essential to consider what you will do with your data and how your findings can be used to inform action.

Your results and findings may be important in shaping future monitoring plans and may feed directly back into the monitoring pathway. Outcomes may influence:

• Future sampling locations.
• Additional parameters to monitor.
• New monitoring methods.
• Improved understanding of environmental pressures.
• Future environmental investigations.

Others may also be interested in your data, including:

• The Environment Agency
• Water companies
• Catchment partnerships
• Rivers Trusts
• Local authorities
• Other environmental stakeholders

Your data, combined with information from others, contributes to a collective evidence base and a more comprehensive picture of environmental health, helping to inform and prioritise environmental action and decision-making.

Refer to Principle 1: Connect and Collaborate.

Further Guidance

Making a Difference - CaSTCo
https://castco.org/knowledge-base/making-a-difference/

The Environment Agency Currently Uses Citizen Science Data To Help

Improve Certainty in Decision-Making

For example, citizen science data can contribute to the Environment Agency's Weight of Evidence approaches.

Further information:

Environment Agency Eutrophication Weight of Evidence Approach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvguG0EvdSc

Working Towards a Cleaner Wharfe – A Closer Look at Water Quality Testing at Ilkley's Bathing Water
https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/04/working-towards-a-cleaner-wharfe-a-closer-look-at-water-quality-testing-at-ilkleys-bathing-water/

Provide Additional Catchment Intelligence

Citizen science can provide information across wider spatial and temporal scales than statutory monitoring alone.

For example:

• Additional monitoring locations.
• More frequent observations.
• Greater community involvement.

See the iWharfe example in Box 2.

Support Investigations

Citizen science can provide information that helps identify, investigate and resolve environmental issues.

For example:

Citizen Science Helps Resolve Pollution Issue – River Tat Case Study (CaSTCo)
https://castco.org/case-study/river-tat/

Using the Tiered Approach

The tiered approach enables the Environment Agency and other organisations to understand:

• How data were collected.
• What quality assurance procedures were followed.
• What quality control measures were applied.
• The confidence that can be placed in the data.

This helps determine where data from each tier can be used most effectively and ensures that the right data are used for the right purpose.

Further examples of collaborative citizen science activities and how the Environment Agency is using citizen science data are available through:

Participate in Citizen Science – Environment Agency
https://engageenvironmentagency.uk.engagementhq.com/citizen-science-participate

Appendix 1: River Type for Water Framework Directive (WFD) Classification

Understanding River Types

Rivers vary naturally across England according to their:

• Hydrology
• Geology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Physical habitat

These characteristics combine to create different river types with different ecological communities.

For example, a mountainous stream in Cumbria can be expected to support a different invertebrate community than a lowland chalk stream in Hampshire.

When collecting and interpreting data, it is important to consider river type so that data are interpreted within the correct environmental context.

WFD Standards for Ammoniacal Nitrogen (mg/L)

River Categories

• Lowland: < 80 metres
• Upland: > 80 metres
• High Alkalinity: > 50 mg/L CaCO₃
• Low Alkalinity: < 50 mg/L CaCO₃

WFD Standards for Dissolved Oxygen Saturation (%)

WFD Standards for Annual Mean Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (mg/L)

River Type Classification

Appendix 2: Ammoniacal Nitrogen Fact Sheet

What is Ammoniacal Nitrogen?

Ammoniacal Nitrogen is the combined measure of two states of inorganic nitrogen:

• Ammonia (NH₃)
• Ammonium (NH₄⁺)

Natural Sources of Ammoniacal Nitrogen in Rivers Include

• Decomposition of organic matter
• Excretion from animals

Anthropogenic (Human) Sources of Ammoniacal Nitrogen Include

• Raw sewage
• Agricultural run-off (fertilisers and excretion from livestock)
• Industrial processes

Terminology

Water Framework Directive Thresholds for Ammoniacal Nitrogen in Rivers

WFD Standards for Ammoniacal Nitrogen (mg/L)

River Categories

• Lowland: < 80 metres altitude
• Upland: > 80 metres altitude
• High Alkalinity: > 50 mg/L CaCO₃
• Low Alkalinity: < 50 mg/L CaCO₃

Appendix 3: Template for Site-Specific Water Quality Interactions

Understanding Water Quality Data and What it Means for River Health

Use the following template to collect, record or incorporate information from other sources that can help you interpret the health of your river.

Use this template alongside the supplementary information: General Water Quality Parameter Interactions.

Site Monitoring Template

Additional Information to Record

pH (Power of Hydrogen)

• pH describes how acidic or alkaline a waterbody is.
• pH > 7 is alkaline.
• pH < 7 is acidic.
• Background pH is dependent on local geology.
• Extreme pH can cause ecological problems due to encouraging the formation of toxic ammonia (see ammoniacal nitrogen).
• Photosynthesis removes dissolved CO₂ from the water and leads to an increased pH.

Temperature

• Water temperature generally changes with prevailing atmospheric temperature.
• Temperature has a fundamental influence on aquatic organisms, ecological processes and the potency of pollutants.
• The ability of water to hold dissolved oxygen decreases as water temperature increases.
• Therefore, daily and seasonal patterns are observed.
• Abrupt temperature changes can indicate inputs into a waterbody.
• For example, rainfall events or effluent discharges may alter river temperature.

Conductivity

• Conductivity measures the total salts dissolved in water through its ability to conduct an electric current.
• Background conductivity varies depending on local geology.
• Baseline values can range from 100 to 2000 µS/cm.
• Upland streams generally have lower conductivity values.
• Lowland streams generally have higher conductivity values because rivers receive minerals from larger catchment areas.

Changes in conductivity can indicate inputs such as:

• Rainfall
• Industrial effluent
• Sewage effluent
• Road runoff
• Winter gritting runoff

Rainfall often has a diluting effect, reducing conductivity. However, agricultural or road runoff following heavy rainfall may increase conductivity as pollutants enter the waterbody.

Dissolved Oxygen Concentration

• Dissolved oxygen concentration measures the amount of oxygen dissolved in water and is expressed in mg/L.
• Dissolved oxygen is essential for aquatic life.
• Waterbodies receive oxygen through atmospheric diffusion and photosynthesis by aquatic plants.
• River turbulence increases oxygen diffusion.
• Turbulence is common in mountainous rivers and lowland rivers following rainfall events.

Dissolved oxygen concentrations:

• Decrease as temperature increases.
• Are generally lower during summer.

When pollutants enter a river:

• Bacteria use oxygen as they break down pollutants.
• Less oxygen becomes available for aquatic organisms.

Therefore, during warmer periods with lower rainfall, pollution can have a greater impact on river ecology.

Dissolved Oxygen Saturation

• Dissolved oxygen saturation measures the amount of dissolved oxygen compared with the maximum amount of oxygen that could be dissolved at a particular temperature and pressure.
• Results are expressed as a percentage.

General guidance:

• 70% dissolved oxygen saturation is considered good.
• <20% dissolved oxygen saturation is considered poor.

Nitrate as N

• Nitrate (NO₃⁻) is an essential nutrient for aquatic organisms.
• Excessive nitrate from agricultural runoff and sewage effluent can damage river ecology.
• In the presence of sufficient dissolved oxygen, bacteria can convert ammoniacal nitrogen into nitrate.

Excessive nitrate may contribute to:

• Algal blooms
• Reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations

Ammoniacal Nitrogen

• Ammoniacal Nitrogen is a combined measure of two dissolved nitrogen forms:
  • Ammonia (NH₃)
  • Ammonium (NH₄⁺)

The balance between ammonia and ammonium is influenced by:

• pH
• Temperature

As pH or temperature increases:

• The proportion of ammonia (NH₃) increases.

In general:

• Less than 10% of total ammonia occurs as toxic NH₃ when pH is below 8.0.

As temperature and alkalinity increase:

• Ammoniacal nitrogen can become increasingly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms.

Sources of ammonium include:

• Livestock waste
• Sewage
• Organic matter decomposition
• Agricultural fertilisers

Although it is an essential nutrient for plant and algal growth, excessive concentrations can cause eutrophication and algal blooms.

When algae die:

• Bacteria consume dissolved oxygen to break them down.
• Less oxygen remains available for aquatic life.

Orthophosphate (Reactive as P)

• Orthophosphate, also known as dissolved phosphate, is the bioavailable form of phosphorus.
• In small concentrations it is essential for healthy freshwater ecosystems.
• Dissolved phosphate is required for plant and algal growth.

Excessive amounts from:

• Fertilisers
• Sewage discharges

can lead to:

• Eutrophication
• Excessive algal growth
• Reduced dissolved oxygen concentrations

Reporting Pollution

If During Your Monitoring You Identify Evidence of Pollution

You must contact the Environment Agency Incident Hotline:

0800 80 70 60

The following resources may help determine whether observations are the result of a natural process or a pollution incident:

What's the Foam You Sometimes See Along Britain's Coastlines?

https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2024/05/21/whats-the-foam-you-sometimes-see-along-britains-coastlines/

Telling the Difference Between an Algal Bloom and Sewage

https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2022/06/22/telling-the-difference-between-an-algal-bloom-and-sewage/

Acknowledgements

This framework was developed through collaboration, with thanks to:

• The Rivers Trust
• CaSTCo partners
• The Riverfly Partnership
• Earthwatch
• SmartRivers
• Citizen scientists
• Water stakeholders who provided advice and suggestions

Feedback

If you have any feedback or suggestions on the Technical Advisory Framework, please complete the feedback survey:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=UCQKdycCYkyQx044U38RAh5_pq_SXplPsj3azMs0ltZUODhLV0dRNTJIUDE1UzcySkhBWjNVMldBMi4u