The Rivers Trust

27/05/2026

🏊‍♂️ Nothing beats a cooling dip on a hot day, but swimming in rivers comes with risks. If you're taking the plunge this week, follow these simple steps to help you stay safe.

Before you get in, check:

🌊 Flow – even gentle-looking rivers can have strong currents, so test it with a leaf
📏 Depth – what looks shallow can drop off suddenly
🌡️ Temperature – cold water shock is possible, even on warm days
💩 Water quality – use our sewage map for recent spills and watch for blue-green algae

Stay safe while swimming:

🚫 Don’t dive – rocks and debris can shift beneath the surface
🚤 Keep an eye out for boats – stay visible and aware
🍹 Stay sober – alcohol and drugs affect judgement and swimming ability
🚪 Plan your exit – make sure there’s an easy way out
🏊‍♂️ Don’t swim alone – go with a friend, or let someone know your plans

Our rivers are great places to cool off and enjoy nature, just take a moment to stay safe around the water.

For more tips, visit our website 👇

theriverstrust.org/about-us/news/river-safety-routine

18/05/2026

📊 The April 2026 Big River Watch results are out now!

Last month, 5,538 of you got outside, connected with your local river, and made this our biggest spring survey so far. Through 2,397 surveys, you contributed to an ever-growing picture of river health across the UK and Ireland, sharing observations that capture both the beauty of our waterways and the challenges they face.

Read our April 2026 Big River Watch Report to take a closer look at what was recorded during a fantastic week of citizen science, including:

🐟 The amazing wildlife you spotted
⚠️ The pressures impacting our rivers
🚧 How Big River Watchers are uncovering barriers across our waterways
📊 And more highlights from the week

🔗 theriverstrust.org/big-river-watch-april-2026-report

Big River Watch will return in autumn 2026, but in the meantime, you’ll find plenty of ways to support your local rivers at the end of the report.

15/05/2026

The latest Bathing Water designations have been announced but it's a mixed story...

The good:
• 13 new sites received designated Bathing Water status, guaranteeing a water quality testing regime 🧪
• This includes six new river bathing locations 🚣

The bad:
• Just two of the 13 designated river bathing waters were classified as sufficient or good status in 2025 ⛔️🏊️
• Bathing Water regulation reforms could automatically refuse new river bathing sites being designated, blocking them from receiving the regular testing they require to enable action towards improved water quality

Without urgent, meaningful action, increasing monitoring of river sites holds little weight. Read our full response below 👇️

13/05/2026

The King’s Speech is due to include the Water Reform Bill, which the government is calling the biggest overhaul of the water system in a generation.

But there will be no debate on the environment in Parliament, adding to long-running concerns that the environment is being disregarded in the process of reform and the government’s wider push for economic growth. Despite the fact that that a healthy natural environment is fundamental to a thriving economy and society.

Read our full response below:

12/05/2026

💪 Demand Clean Water Now: Use your voice to stand up for our rivers!

The upcoming Water Reform Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to secure real protections for our rivers, lakes, and seas, but only if it is done properly.

The early proposals are underwhelming and without stronger action, we risk years more of pollution, broken systems, and nature loss.

Visit the link below to email your MP and demand a Water Reform Bill that truly delivers the changes our rivers desperately need. You can customise the message or use the template provided.

https://action.friendsoftheearth.uk/target/clean-water-now :referrer_name=riverstrust

It only takes a couple of minutes, but this moment could shape the future of our waterways for years to come.

08/05/2026

🐟 🎈 Happy 100th Birthday to the only man more iconic than the weird and wonderful creatures in our rivers, Sir David Attenborough!

At our annual conference yesterday, we asked attendees to don their BBC wildlife documentary-making hats and celebrate their favourite river species in his legendary presenting style. (Swipe for the results.)

Thank you, Sir David, for your tireless work connecting so many of us with nature, for redefining the landscape of nature programming, and for inspiring generations of people to take better care of our planet. 💙

What would you add to this list? 👇 ✍️

07/05/2026

💧 It's Water Saving Week! We've joined Waterwise to highlight how our everyday actions directly impact our rivers and the wildlife that depends on them.

Our rivers face a variety of pressures that each put ecosystems and species at risk. While systemic change and stronger regulation are essential and urgent, they take time. That's why it's important that we recognise the impact we can all have on the health of our waterways.

It is easy to think that as individuals our efforts are but a tiny drop in the river but when multiplied across millions of homes and businesses, small changes add up to a meaningful impact.

Read our joint blog to explore how your water use connects to river health and wildlife, and how you can help protect them. 👇

This Water Saving Week, we’re highlighting the simple ways you can reduce water waste and in doing so, protect both our water sources and the wildlife This Water Saving Week, we’re highlighting the simple but powerful ways households, businesses and individuals can reduce water waste and in doin...

01/05/2026

🎉 Positive River News

Eel reintroductions, toad patrols, major river clean-ups and lots of citizen science made April a busy month for our rivers, with plenty to celebrate. 👏

What was your favourite river win from April? Share it in the comments below. 👇

Featured this month: ARK - Action for the River Kennet, Thames Rivers Trust, Aire Rivers Trust, West Cumbria Rivers Trust, Wear Rivers Trust, and Thames21

29/04/2026

📢 Big River Watch ends tomorrow!

It has already been an amazing week of riverside citizen science, and we are loving seeing all your surveys popping up on our map. Here is a quick look at what you've seen so far.

⏰ But there's still time to get involved.

Whether you’re heading out for another Big River Watch or taking part for the first time, you can still make your survey count.

Download the free Big River Watch app and submit your surveys by the end of Thursday the 30th of April to put your rivers on the map.

We can’t wait to see what you capture in these final two days. 💙

https://theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch

📲 Download the app on:
Apple 👉 https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/big-river-watch/id6463412601
Android 👉 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.theriverstrust.bigriverwatch&pcampaignid=web_share