Can you help look after our rivers and lakes?

The huge project wants to see how our waterways could be damaged by pollution

Do you have a river, canal, or maybe a lake near you?

Autumn Water Watch starts on Friday, and people all over the UK will be taking part.

Volunteers are being asked to look at their local streams or rivers, and see what wildlife lives there, as well as search for any signs of pollution.

It's been organised by Planet Patrol, who set up litter-picks all over the country.

Do you ever go on a walk near a lake or a river?

River pollution

Planet Patrol wants volunteers to look out for where rivers have been damaged by litter or pollution.

One example of river pollution could be a sheen on top of the water - which would suggest oil was in the river, lake, or canal.

They're also asking people to look for surface algae - which looks like a green layer on top of the water.

This can be formed when too many different nutrients have entered the water - suggesting nearby plant fertilizers have washed into the river.

People throwing litter into canals creates a dangerous environment for animals and plants

Wildlife on the waterways

It's not just signs of damage volunteers are looking for - it's also to see what diverse wildlife live by water in the UK.

These could be bugs like dragonflies, or birds like kingfishers and herons.

You can also look out for mammals like foxes, water voles, or even otters!

As well as animals, there are all sorts of different types of plants near our rivers, canals and lakes as well.

All sorts of different animals live along waterways in the UK

Why was the project set up?

You might remember the Big Garden Birdwatch from earlier in the year - when we were asked to see how many birds we could spot from our windows.

The project was a big success - with the RSPB saying almost 700,000 people took part!

Planet Patrol hope by setting up a similar project - which relies on volunteers who love the environment - they can see how our rivers, lakes, canals and streams are doing in the UK.

The project's organisers want volunteers to get to know their local freshwater environments

Water quality in the UK

After everyone has had a chance to look at their local freshwater, all the information will be collected by Loughborough University.

Everyone's wildlife sightings, evidence of pollution, and water temperature levels will be used as data in a huge project by the university to work out the state of our water environments.

This project will help work out what we need to do to keep our water clean, and how we can help wildlife in different freshwater areas.