River Beult Riverfly Monitoring

Aim

Train citizen science volunteers to become part of a riverfly monitoring scheme on the River Beult to assess the health of the river.

Who we are:

The South East Rivers Trust is an environmental charity bringing rivers and their catchments back to life. Working in 12 river catchments across the South East, the Trust connects communities and mobilises citizen scientists to educate and engage people on the importance of rivers and supports and challenges stakeholders, businesses and individuals to protect them.  The Trust uses data and evidence to target positive action and works with nature to make rivers healthy again. This includes tackling water pollution, addressing water scarcity, reconnecting rivers and restoring habitats.

The vision for the River Beult:

Along with Kent Wildlife Trust, Southern Water and the Upper Beult Farm Cluster, our vision for the Beult is a clean river running through a mosaic of wet grasslands and woodlands. Riparian corridors full of wildlife and a functioning floodplain, embedded within a productive agricultural landscape will provide benefits to the communities living alongside it.

The reality is that despite being the only protected river in Kent, the Beult is in poor condition and bearing the scars of centuries of human pressure. Once a watery landscape, with rainwater retained in a mosaic of wetlands, the land is now drained and the river is vulnerable to drought. 

This is problematic for water supplies as the Beult feeds a major water abstraction at Yalding. When it rains, water runs quickly off farmland and roads, carrying pollutants to the river and causing flooding.

Find out more about the project here: www.southeastriverstrust.org/projects/bringing-back-the-beult

How you can help restore the River Beult:

Make restoring the Beult a reality. We have a vision for a restored Beult with healthy wildlife, wetlands and water resources. But we can’t do it alone...
You can make this a reality by funding the roll-out of nature-based solutions which include the surveying of the river's health. By rolling out a riverfly monitoring scheme at the Beult, you can help us assess the water quality which will then help shape future restoration projects.

Why do we need a riverfly monitoring scheme?

Riverflies are invertebrates that spend most of their life cycle in a river, stream, pond or lake. Along with other freshwater invertebrates, they are at the heart of the freshwater ecosystem and are a vital link in the aquatic food chain. Their common characteristics of limited mobility, relatively long life cycle, presence throughout the year and specific tolerances to changes in environmental conditions make them useful indicators of water quality, pollution, siltation and low flows. Visit Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) for information on how citizen scientists are playing an instrumental role in protecting the health of their local rivers by monitoring their riverfly populations. 

What your kind donation will fund:

Volunteer teams will be trained by riverfly experts in identifying riverflies and submitting results. The set up costs for the Beult riverfly monitoring programme is £3,000 which covers the cost of the riverfly trainer, life jackets, waders, riverfly kits, travel costs and refreshments for the volunteers. Kent Wildlife Trust will manage the volunteer progamme following the initial training and equipment supplied by The South East Rivers Trust. Southern Water will match fund all donations. 

This project successfully funded on 1st November 2024