Invertebrate monitoring

To try to get to the bottom of what data about invertebrate life we might be able to collect for the EA, I spoke this afternoon with:

 . EA Ecological Appraisal team leader, NW (South) Area, David Goodwin
 . EA Riverfly Partnership contact Graham Lightfoot
 . Riverfly Partnership founder Cyril Bennett

The Riverfly Partnership methodology (to quote founder Cyril Bennett) is "targeted at spotting pollution incidents quickly and in a form acceptable to EA". It is not a tool for monitoring the improvement in a river's health.

David Goodwin concludes there is *NO* invertebrate data we anglers can collect which will be in any way useful to EA. If they don't already have data for the relevant sections of river, the EA Ecological Appraisal Team will survey before any habitat improvement commences.

We may in future wish to join the Riverfly Partnership to ensure the ongoing health and well-being of our river. We have two water treatment works and a sewage treatment works upstream on the Goyt, plus other industries on the Goyt and the Sett. Fish are very mobile and in a pollution incident will travel miles to avoid the pollutant; invertebrates are much less mobile so a significant indicator species.

EA funding for Riverfly Partnership this year dependent on them getting into 8 new areas: our area, NW South, is a virgin territory so Graham Lightfoot and Cyril Bennett quite keen for us to become involved. That's one for later I think...