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Western Sussex Rivers Trust (WSRT) River Guardians is a pioneering citizen science initiative addressing gaps in river health monitoring.
As part of the national Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo) project, we equip volunteers with water testing kits, training, and an open-access data platform to contribute to a meaningful, long-term dataset to improve water quality.
Dive into our River Guardians citizen science data with our interactive map:
Led by our fantastic Citizen Scientists, our River Guardians initiative focuses on monitoring the water quality of our precious rivers. The data collected from these surveys helps us to identify pollution and act quickly to help prevent further damage to these special habitats.
Take a look at our handy river health scorecards and map which have been created using data collected by our brilliant River Guardians.
Despite no waterbodies in the Arun & Western Streams catchment currently meeting the Water Framework Directive (WFD) standards, River Guardians are making a difference by identifying pollution sources, monitoring trends and advocating for sustainable river management solutions.
Without sufficient data, communities and policymakers lack information about which areas are in good ecological health and which need urgent intervention.
Without baseline data, identifying pollution events and their sources is challenging, and with a lack of reliable data accessible, communities are unable to find answers to their concerns about their local rivers.
To address these issues, WSRT initiated the River Guardians citizen science project to increase the coverage, frequency, and transparency of river health monitoring.
Since January 2024, WSRT River Guardians and volunteers have conducted 1600+ River Health Surveys using standardised testing kits measuring:
Phosphates
Turbidity
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Nitrates
Temperature
Surveys also include observations of river characteristics, pollution, and ecosystems. Training ensures consistent, scientifically valid methods, while collaboration with existing groups unifies monitoring efforts.
This project is transforming local water monitoring by:
Greatly expanding monitoring coverage across the catchment
Building a reliable, long-term dataset for assessing water quality
Detecting pollution in real time and triggering reports to the Environment Agency and Southern Water
Engaging communities in river stewardship and freshwater protection
Supporting future mitigation projects like wetlands, SuDS, and advanced monitoring programs
Results are shared through interactive tools—including Cartographer, ArcGIS Experience Hub, and WSRT River Health Scorecards - making complex data accessible to communities and decision-makers.
Summarising large datasets into clear, local River Health reports was key to empowering action in 2024.
WSRT Volunteer Health & Safety Agreement
Equipment Guide
Interpreting your results Guide
Watch our water quality testing tutorial video below for a full, detailed explanation of all the different tests:
