A world-first paddle boarding relay to monitor the quality of the nation’s waterways will pass through Stone as it winds its way from Godalming in Surrey to Stainton in the Lake District.
From Monday, the 11th of September 2023, paddle boarders across the UK will unite to take on a world-first challenge: to complete a 641 km relay across the length of England’s connected waterways, testing water quality along the way. The relay will paddle through towns and villages across counties and calls on local communities to come out in a show of support to cheer the paddlers on. The relay will be tracked live so people can follow along with the progress.
The challenge, organised by environmental movement Planet Patrol, marks the launch of its nationwide citizen science water quality testing programme and will start on the River Wey in Godalming, Surrey – the most southerly point of England’s connected waterway network and also one of the worst performing sites in Planet Patrol’s water quality pilot.
The relay will cover the equivalent of 15 back-to-back marathons before finally finishing in the Lake District on the 8th of October. Volunteers will undertake distances varying from 2km to 20km before handing over the paddle board to the next participant at each changeover and can sign up here to get involved. In our area there’s currently nobody selected for the Stone leg and the one after.
Paddle boarders will be armed with sampling kits to test water quality every 5km. Collectively they will gather more than 750 readings across parameters including nitrites, nitrates, phosphates, coliform bacteria, PH levels and water temperature. This will indicate the overall health of England’s rivers, powered entirely by the people.
All findings will be recorded in Planet Patrol’s app and will help provide a real-time overview of water quality to fill the knowledge gaps left by a 74% reduction in water quality monitoring over the last ten years due to government funding cuts.
Planet Patrol founder Lizzie Carr MBE, who was the first person in history to solo paddle board the route in 2016, said:
“England has some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, but for years they have been used as a dumping ground for chemicals, sewage and other pollutants. We need to understand the true extent of the problem so it can be accurately understood, communicated and acted upon before the damage is irreversible.
Race for Rivers is not just a challenge; it’s a pressing call to action to protect our blue spaces. Retracing this route as a community rather than an individual feels incredibly poignant. We’re running out of time and the value of citizen science must be recognised and formally incorporated as part of the solution to tackling gaps in monitoring.”
Volunteers will need to keep to strict timings with military precision and navigate a variety of conditions, including paddling upstream on the tidal Thames, portaging more than 190 locks and passing over landmarks, including the Lune aqueduct.
The relay will have live tracking from 11th September for people to follow along and support virtually or in person, available here.
