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The Rivers Trust Impact Report 2025 – 26

What has the Rivers Trust Movement achieved in the past year?

From river restoration and natural flood management to campaigning and community engagement, read our latest Impact Report to discover how our Movement is fighting for wild, healthy, natural rivers.

Impact Report 2025-26
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.

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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

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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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

View across the Thames to Westminster, Houses of Parliament, and Big Ben

Government’s Water White Paper: Welcome signals, worrying gaps, and vital work still to do

  • The Rivers Trust

The long-awaited Water White paper contains some positive steps to reform water management, but without significant new government funding it will not be the radical, transformational change that we hoped for or that communities, our environment and the economy need.

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Logo banner showing PSW and PeacePlus organisation logos

Invitation to Tender PSW NbS Measures on Farms in Northern Ireland

  • Jack Hatcher

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people around a marble run

Inspiring Early Careers in Green Engineering: The Rivers Trust at the BCU Innovation Festival

  • Gwen Mainwaring

Communications Officer, Gwen Mainwaring joined colleagues from The Rivers Trust Technical team and Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions as a judge for the Leading Engineering Endeavours module, part of this year’s Birmingham City University (BCU) Innovation Festival, hosted by STEAMhouse. 

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A smiling man stands in the sunshine, wearing a white tee with a bold navy print

Stephan Desouches: Meet The designer behind the Wild, Healthy, Natural Rivers collection

  • The Rivers Trust

“My creative practice is heavily rooted in the natural world, and I am so excited to collaborate with The Rivers Trust and contribute to revitalizing their merchandise line.”

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