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Donations are doubled!

Between the 2nd and 9th of December, all donations made to The Rivers Trust through The Big Give are doubled, so they have twice the impact. Support our Big Give Christmas Challenge and use your pounds to power healthier rivers. 

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The river Wye

Wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all.

Healthy rivers are essential to human life, they provide us with drinking water, they water our crops, they are home to important species of wildlife, they provide recreational spaces for our health and wellbeing.

Make a difference
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A man testing water quality using sampling kit people planting a wetland

0% good overall health

0%

of all rivers in England and Northern Ireland are classed as 'good overall'.

Natural barriers

99%

of British rivers have artificial barriers obstructing migrating fish

Species decline

83%

decline in freshwater species globally since 1970

1% of the earth

1%

of the earth's surface is made up of freshwater ecosystems, yet they provide habitat for 100,000+ species

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See what you can do to save rivers and help communities thrive.

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Get informed

River in drought

Drought and water scarcity

Many people don’t even realise that the UK and Ireland experience drought; after all, we’re known for our rain! However, it only takes a few sunny days to dry our vulnerable rivers to the point that they virtually disappear, with disastrous consequences for wildlife and river ecosystems.

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A CSO with wetwipes clinging to the bars

Raw sewage in our rivers

Sewage is discharged into rivers across the UK and Ireland on a daily basis. This isn’t an isolated problem; it occurs up and down the country, affecting urban city centre rivers and pristine chalk streams alike.

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Volunteer holding sapling

Take action

Whether you can’t wait to get your hands dirty while cleaning up rivers, or you’d rather support us from the comfort of your own home, there are lots of ways you can support our work to restore rivers.

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The camera bisects the surface of the water, with river plants shown below and a person walking along the bank above

State of Our Rivers

The race to climate resilience will be won or lost on rivers – and right now we’re losing.

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Latest news

A man and his brown dog stand in front of a river in running gear

Running for Rivers: CEO Mark Lloyd takes on 43-mile ultramarathon challenge inspired by salmon migration to raise vital funds

  • Emma Brisdion

To raise awareness of the plight of salmon and fundraise for the vital work of The Rivers Trust, this September our CEO, Mark Lloyd will take part in the Salmon Run/​43-mile ultramarathon challenge along the River Exe, following the species’ migration route upstream.

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Man in white t-shirt and blue shorts on a rowing boat on the water

World’s Toughest Row: Jake’s final Atlantic voyage preparations

  • The Rivers Trust

What does it take to get ready for the World’s Toughest Row? Jake Still opens up his food stores and tells us about his final preparations before heading to the start line of his upcoming 3,000-mile solo row across the Atlantic, to raise funds for river restoration work.

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Ariel view of a water flowing into a water treatment plant

Will this be the year that government makes the changes we need to fix our water system?

  • The Rivers Trust

2025 has the potential to be a transformative year for the water environment. We have the opportunity to kick-start once-in-a-generation change towards more integrated water management, ensuring that our water system genuinely meets the needs of our people, nature and a thriving economy.

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a woman with a backpack and walking pole sands next to a river looking at the water

Emmeline Hardisty’s 1000-mile riparian pilgrimage for the rights of rivers

  • The Rivers Trust

This summer, Emmeline walked over 1,000 miles along rivers while campaigning for these ecosystems to be given rights that would support their protection and restoration.

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