Early in 2023, a remarkable piece of equipment was installed on the River Yealm: the “Yealm Sonde” , a continuous water monitor that automatically measures and transmits information about water quality from it’s location in the river.  This work was done with with support from the Parish Councils of Wembury, Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo, Yealmpton, Brixton and Sparkwell, plus one anonymous donor, all coordinated through the River Yealm Water Quality Group. 

A report on the installation of this device and the early findings on its use is available here.

Our first year of data from the Yealm Sonde has provided an excellent baseline of the response of the Yealm catchment to seasonal changes in hydrology, at the same time identifying short-term events driven by anthropogenic influences.  The full report of the first year's data is available here.

Photo: Tony Hawkins 2023.