Overview of Mudspotter
Mud or fine sediment entering river systems in excessive quantities can lead to serious problems for aquatic ecosystems by smothering and clogging coarser sediments, depleting the oxygen supply for aquatic organisms, and often binding with toxic or undesirable substances. Widespread concerns about the deterioration in ecological condition linked to fine sediments or mud entering sensitive rivers and streams have highlighted this as a physical pressure in many water environments together and a major gap in knowledge about mud sources and pathways. The Mud Spotter survey and tool provide a simple app-based methodology for volunteer citizen scientists and professionals to record the sources and pathways of mud being transported into rivers during or shortly after rainfall.
Mud Spotter allows the rapid recording of water and fine sediment inputs from individual runoff sources such as culverts, pipes, ditches, overland flow pathways and eroding riverbanks. It allows inputs from these mud sources to be monitored as they respond to rainfall events and to be mapped along individual reaches of the river. In this way, Mud Spotter complements other Water Quality recording activities and allows surveyors to input, view, interrogate and export data.
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://cartographer.io/ Data can be recorded in Cartographer, but are not currently shared openly.
Cost: Moderate. App is available free of charge to users. Training and support available on request from Cartographer.
Ease of Use: There is a manual and a mobile app which guides users through the survey.
Quality control: Local coordinators responsible for quality control
Coverage / Scale: The scheme is available to use in UK and Ireland.
Health & Safety: Guidance manual covers some aspects of health and safety related to assessing the water clarity, but there is no other guidance or set training covering health and safety.
Method sponsor/ owner / primary user: Cartographer Studios /Angela Gurnell