31 Jul 2024

An investigation by i suggests that over 5,500 sewage spills in England last year may have been illegal as they took place without permission from the Environment Agency (EA), including at spots along iconic rivers like the Wye and Avon. Water companies released untreated waste into waterways 464,056 times in 2023, official statistics show. These […]

23 Jul 2024

The Environment Agency has published a new guide for anyone who owns or occupies land or property next to or containing a main river in England. In ‘Your watercourse: rights and roles’, the Agency notes that, where a watercourse runs adjacent to or through your land you will be what is termed a ‘riparian landowner’. […]

23 Jul 2024

A new project has been launched to help restore the upper reaches of the River Wye, one of the UK’s most cherished rivers. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) announced the Upper Wye Catchment Restoration Project at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show on 22 July 2024. Funded by the Welsh Government, this initiative aims to rejuvenate the […]

03 Jul 2024

Watershed Investigations has published the Watershed Pollution Map, revealing “a huge range of potential pollution sources that can harm rivers, lakes, groundwater, coasts and more”. It shows: river, lake and groundwater health bathing water health damaged and protected waters sewage dumping chemical pollution urban and road pollution substances being discharged into waters years of Environment […]

25 Jun 2024

By Guglielmo Sonnino Sorisio, PhD Candidate in Ecohydraulics, Cardiff University and Catherine Wilson, Professor in Environmental Hydraulics, Cardiff University. The European eel Anguilla anguilla, a sleek, snake-like fish with a fascinating life cycle, once teemed in rivers. But their numbers have plummeted by over 95% since the 1980s. Behind this dramatic decline is a combination of threats, including […]

12 Jun 2024

More environmental groups have set out their expectations and requests for political parties to consider in their manifestos and election campaigning. They include Save Britain’s Rivers: i challenges all parties to commit to election manifesto RIVER HEALTH: 77 per cent of rivers in good health by 2027. SEWAGE: Sewage spills will not damage high-priority areas […]

14 May 2024

Deeply concerning’ failures to properly implement regulations designed to protect rivers, lakes and coastal waters in England mean key targets for improvement will be missed, a report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found. As part of its role to monitor how environmental laws are working in practice the OEP has carried out […]

08 May 2024

Last weekend (3-6 May), the Rivers Trust ran its Big River Watch weekend – a simple citizen science activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland. The app and survey will remain open to collect data year-round. So, if you run a volunteer group or you’re interested in continuing […]