https://www.facebook.com/714548701731329/

Taw and Torridge River Champions

Home
United Kingdom
Bideford
Taw and Torridge River Champions

Bringing people together for cleaner rivers across Northern Devon

20/10/2026

Today we did our water quality test using a kit provided by the Westcountry Rivers Trust, starting with hand disinfection using the provided spray.

The test measures several key indicators

Temperature

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): High readings point to potential stress on aquatic life.

Turbidity: Measures undissolved particles, such as agricultural runoff.

Phosphate Levels: Measured using a pre-printed test strip submerged in a sealed tube of sample water. Main causes of high phosphates are sewage & wastewater, agricultural runoff & urban/domestic runoff.

River dip 20th October

Turbidity- under 14
TDS - 128 (Total Dissolved solids)
Temp 10.6
Phosphate ppb - 0 - perfect!

Comments:

Rubbish on side of the stream
Pond skaters
Duckweed
Marsh tit
Robin
Wren
Lichen & moss on the hazel branches

15/10/2026

This morning brought a truly magical sight along the Torridge: at least three otters splashing and playing in the water! Moments like this are such a rewarding reward for nature lovers and a clear reminder of why we must continue protecting and restoring our local rivers.

Thank you to Adam Styles for the film 🎥

06/10/2026

Great news! 💪

03/10/2026

Today at The Fox & Hounds Country Hotel in Eggesford, TTRC steering group members Darren Searle and Peter Jones led an engaging session on water quality testing, training local volunteers to become dedicated river champions

Through our partnership with the North Devon Unesco Biosphere Healthy Rivers Project, we are equipping communities with the tools and knowledge needed to monitor local river health.

Join our next session:

Date: Sunday, 29th November
Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Hatherleigh Community Centre

Limited spaces are available. Secure your place today via the link in the first comment.

01/10/2026

Want to monitor the health of your local river or stream?

There's still time to sign up to our Citizen Science training sessions near Chumleigh this Saturday morning.

📍 Fox & Hounds Country Hotel, Eggesford, Chulmleigh EX18 7JZ
🕙 10am–12.30pm | Saturday 3rd October

Sign-up links are in the comments.

27/09/2026

Want to become a River Champion?

We’ve got the turbidity tubes, TDS meters and all the other goodies ready for our Citizen Science training sessions.

We’re working with the North Devon Unesco Biosphere Healthy Rivers Project to train local people to monitor the health of our rivers.

You’ll learn how to test your local river for phosphate, turbidity, total dissolved solids and temperature.

📍 Fox & Hounds Country Hotel, Eggesford, Chulmleigh EX18 7JZ
🕙 10am–12.30pm | Saturday 3rd October

And another session:
📍 Hatherleigh Community Centre
🕑 2–4pm | Sunday 29th November

Interested? Sign-up links are in the comments.

22/09/2026

20/09/2026

A few TTRC steering group members took part in September’s Great UK WaterBlitz, testing a new location away from our Spring spot. Unfortunately, the results weren't great! Our map data suggests local land use is driving up nitrate and phosphate levels here, so our next step is to head further upstream to pin down the exact source.

13/09/2026

Yesterday we hosted our very first Taw & Torridge River Champions event at Arlington Court’s education barn.
We had an inspiring lineup of speakers sharing insights on all things river-related, and we were thrilled to see so many attendees sign up to monitor and test our local waterways.
A huge thank you to everyone who booked a ticket and joined us - we hope this is just the first of many events to come!

Address

Bideford

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Taw and Torridge River Champions posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.