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3.1.20 Anglers’ Riverfly

Monitoring Initiative and
ARMI index

Table 5. 10
The anglers’ riverfly monitoring initiative (ARMI) means Abundance categories used for ARMI
that amateur volunteers can undertake an ecological
assessment of river quality based on invertebrates, so Abundance Category Score
that they can take action to help protect their local river
environment. Originally aimed at anglers, monitoring 1–9 A 1
groups have also been set up by some River Trusts and
other associations. 10–99 B 2
100–999 C 3
https://www.riverflies.org/anglers-riverfly-monitoring-
initiative-armi also https://www.fba.org.uk/volunteer/ >1000 D 4
riverfly-partnership

Regulatory authorities such as the Environment Agency set
ARMI - Anglers’ Riverfly trigger levels for each site, and if it falls below this value the
Monitoring Initiative riverfly group notifies the regulatory authority so that it can
investigate the cause and take measures to restore quality.

The Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative allows A guide to sampling, sorting and identification, together
amateur volunteers to undertake an ecological with a recording sheet, has been produced by the Riverfly
assessment of river quality based on invertebrates, Partnership (2017) (115) (Figure 5.5). As a quality assurance
so that they can take action to help protect their local measure, this is only available to people who have
river environment. completed a special training course, so that only the people
who have the correct training undertake the monitoring.
Results are uploaded to the ARMI database and warnings
The scheme is designed for use by amateurs, so its methods of samples indicating poor quality are sent to the local
are simple but are capable of detecting severe degradation statutory agency ecologists. Brooks et al. (2019) (116) is a
in river water quality. It enables volunteer monitoring groups useful published reference.
to provide warnings to the statutory agencies (Environment
Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, National
Resources Wales or Northern Ireland Environment Agency).
ARMI monitoring is usually monthly throughout the year, so
it complements the less frequent monitoring by regulatory
authorities, which is usually no more than twice a year every
3 years.

The Anglers’ Riverfly Monitoring Initiative is organised by
the Riverfly Partnership and its database is managed by
the Freshwater Biological Association. The initiative is
supported by training courses, guides and other events.
There is an accreditation scheme for trained surveyors.
Samples are collected by the standard RIVPACS method
for wadeable streams and rivers (Chapter 2) but they
are analysed on the bankside. The abundance of 8
easily identified invertebrate indicators are recorded:
cased caddisflies, caseless caddisflies, Ephemeridae,
Ephemerellidae, Heptageniidae, Baetidae, stoneflies and
Gammarus. Abundances are recorded on a log scale,
similar to WHPT. Because ARMI index values depend
on abundance (Table 5.10), it is not suitable for samples
collected by other methods. The overall index value for a Figure 5.5
sample is the sum of these index values, ie an ARMI score. Cover of the guide to ARMI methods

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