Visual River Survey Basics
Visual River Survey Basics
Section titled “Visual River Survey Basics”What this guide will cover
Section titled “What this guide will cover”A practical, no-equipment guide to observing and recording the visible condition of a river stretch.
Planned content:
- What a visual survey is — its purpose, its limits, and when it is enough vs when you need to escalate to water sampling.
- What to look for — colour and clarity of water, foam and surface films, visible waste types, bank conditions, odour, and signs of dead aquatic life.
- How to record your observations — a standardised observation sheet template (printable and digital) compatible with Nadikosh’s reporting format.
- Photo documentation — how to photograph effectively for records (angles, lighting, GPS tagging on your phone).
- How to interpret what you see — a simple guide to common visible signs and what they suggest. Links to relevant Pollution Library articles for deeper explanation.
- What to do with your data — how to submit your observation to Nadikosh or your NGO partner.