Overview of Riverfly
An expanded version of the Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) has two main goals:
- To provide more detailed data on streams and rivers. Interpretation of these data is aided by two new biotic indices to detect and measure pollution and habitat degradation.
- To provide a training and progression pathway for volunteers to develop and improve their freshwater invertebrate identification skills.
Once volunteers are confident in their bankside identification of the eight RMI groups, they can progress — Extended Riverfly is not a starting point for anyone wanting to monitor the health of their waterways. The number of freshwater invertebrate groups monitored is expanded from the eight in RMI to thirty-three in the Extended Riverfly scheme.
The Riverfly Extended Scheme is supported by a new identification chart and new training workshops, both of which have proved very popular with volunteers. It is hoped that the addition of this new Extended Scheme will encourage greater engagement in Riverfly monitoring, provide existing monitors with a way to further their knowledge and attract more volunteers to this fascinating subject. This will help to preserve and conserve the valuable wildlife of our streams and rivers.
Suitability for monitoring purposes
| Monitoring purpose category | Likely tier(s) What’s this? | Suitability |
| Engagement: Education and raising awareness | 0-1 | ✖ |
| Surveillance: Ecosystem health screening | 1 (2) | ✓✓ |
| Investigation: Helping to target further action | 2 (3) | ✓✓ |
| Evaluation: Assessing the impact of actions | 2 (3) | ✓✓ |
Data system: https://app.cartographer.io/ws/riverflies Extended Riverfly data have been collected on Cartographer for several years. Not clear if this is widely shared or only accessible to volunteers and coordinating groups.
Cost: Significant. Costs of kick-sampling equipment, training and coordination are generally covered by coordinating local groups who fundraise locally. Extended Riverfly requires an additional printed guide for identification of the 33 groups and greater levels of support from coordinators.
Ease of use: Volunteers require a longer training course and should already be experienced in the RMI scheme.
Quality control: Volunteers receive a numbered certificate upon completion of training, and sample results are checked by a local coordinator.
Coverage / Scale: The scheme has been rolled out in a few regions in England, with the limiting factor being costs of training and coordinating volunteers.
Health & Safety: This is covered as part of the training, and volunteers undertake a dynamic risk assessment each time they go out to survey.
Method sponsor/ owner / primary user: Riverfly Partnership (hosted by Freshwater Biological Association)
Weblink: https://www.riverflies.org/extended-riverfly
CaSTCo Investment: CaSTCo is reviewing and investing in this method to optimise data quality, ease of use and cost, including rolling out training and investing in data systems.