The Vera Collins collection contains data relating to lakes and rivers within Cumbria, and one river within Scotland, including measurement of:
- bacteria counts
- temperature
- dissolved oxygen
- pH
It also includes dissertation findings from lakes by a student. Data also relates to the Lakes Tour, which is a seasonal survey of the 20 major lakes in the English Lake District; this is carried on today by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).
Also included are press cuttings, describing water droughts and water extraction plans.