How you can help save our precious waterways

THE Big River Watch starts today and it's the perfect time to reflect on the beauty, importance and growing pressures on Bristol's rivers.

- By Sophie Bancroft

From the Floating Harbour and River Avon to smaller streams like Brislington Brook, the Malago and Pigeonhouse Stream, our city is home to over 100 miles of waterways each with its own story, wildlife and community.

Yet these waterways are under threat. Pollution from sewage, farming, urban runoff and even dog flea treatments continue to harm water quality. Plastic waste litters the banks. Erosion, invasive species and floodplain development pile on the pressure.

In fact, 13% of England's freshwater and wetland species are now at risk of extinction. It can feel overwhelming, but there is hope and you are part of the solution.

Here's how to get involved in the campaign:

Citizen science: Power in numbers

One of the easiest and most impactful ways to help is by joining the Big River Watch. It's a citizen science initiative that invites everyone to observe and record conditions along local rivers. You don't need to be a scientist or ecologist - just someone who cares.