Become A Stream Watcher
Has your community experienced flooding, or at risk? Blocked and overgrown watercourses, including streams and drains, can increase local flood risk. People join a Neighbourhood Watch to protect the safety of their street, what about becoming a Stream Watcher to protect the health of the environment?
Essex County Council’s Flood and Water Management team, is pleased to launch the “StreamWatch” initiative to support community-level understanding of where water flows and it’s health, and help us target where action is needed.
ABOUT STREAMWATCH
By mapping and monitoring local watercourses, citizens can:
- Play a crucial role in identifying potential flood risks;
- Build a broader understanding of existing flood issues;
- Safeguard the health of their environment;
- Join fellow citizen scientists in collecting valuable data on overall river health;
- Be empowered to take action;
- Help inform future flood resilience and environmental protection schemes;
HOW IT WORKS
The StreamWatch project involves a small group mapping the location of open watercourses and noting their condition, this includes noting the presence of invasive species and pollution if present, and water quality and anything else considered relevent. All equipment and training will be provided by Essex County Council. Training requires about 2-3 hours.
Example of Survey created as part of StreamWatch
If your community is in the Combined Essex Catchment, the data can also be shared with The Essex Rivers Trust as part of their Essex RiverWatch project. Find your local river on the Catchment Data Explorer
WHY BECOME STREAM WATCHER?
With severe rainfall becoming more prevalent because of climate change, developing flood adaptation strategies to build resilience in communities is a key priority for local councils. The citizen science project not only empowers individuals to take action on flood issues, but also provides valuable data that is made public and can inform future flood resilience strategies and action plans.
GET STARTED
To take part in the project, you will need a small group of active volunteers and a few hours to spare. If you would like more information on how your local parish can get involved in this programme, please email floods@essex.gov.uk