The Rivers Trust logo

News

Find out the latest news from The Rivers Trust and its members.

Explore

476 news articles

a dried out riverbed

Rain after drought: flooding and the first flush of pollution

  • Emma Brisdion
  • Blog
After a prolonged dry and hot spell, many of us across the UK are welcoming back the sight of rain this week. While more water is good news for our very low rivers, that’s not the whole story: rain after drought can also bring flooding and a flush of pollution.

Learn more
A dry river with very little water running through a green landscape with a single tree on the right riverbank

UK drought pressure rises: With a hosepipe ban in Yorkshire, what can we do to save water and ease pressure on rivers?

  • Matthew Woodard
With a hosepipe ban now in place, Yorkshire’s dry spring and hot summer forecast raise wider questions about how we manage and protect our water resources.

Learn more
Group of people stood in front of a poster at the launch event

Aire Resilience Company launches to tackle flood risk and the climate emergency

  • Matthew Woodard
On Tuesday, 17th June, The Rivers Trust joined leaders from businesses and institutions across Yorkshire to mark the launch of the Aire Resilience Company (ARC), a new Community Interest Company (CIC) facilitating the delivery of long-term natural flood management (NFM) interventions in the Aire valley.

Learn more
ARK 2025 17

Cross-border learning to support Water Stewardship on the Island of Ireland

  • Gwen Mainwaring
The Rivers Trust Water Stewardship Team came together to explore Nature-based Solutions on a knowledge exchange trip in Southeast England.

Learn more
ariel view of a housing development in the countryside

Why the Planning and Infrastructure Bill poses a threat to our rivers

  • The Rivers Trust
Now is the time for us all to step up for nature, across all sectors and walks of life. However, with its new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

Learn more
aerial shot of a river with new trees planted along one of its banks

Ripples from the Roots: Celebrating Woodlands for Water

  • The Rivers Trust
It is widely accepted that creating more woodland is an effective way to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. Rivers are the perfect passage to breathe life back into our land through a network spanning 200,000km in England. As the Woodlands for Water project finishes, we reflect on the impact it had.

Learn more
Kids looking over a bridge by a river

Spring 2025 Big River Watch: What you saw, felt, and achieved for rivers

  • Matthew Woodard
  • Blog
From spotting thousands of ducks to sharing your connection to rivers, explore the results of the most recent Big River Watch survey and join us as we reflect on the data you’ve collected on river health, after two years of Big River Watching.

Learn more
Gull sat on rock in grass

Big River Watch: Exploring river wildlife with citizen science

  • The Rivers Trust
As we near the end of our 2025 Spring Big River Watch, Barry McLaughlin, a Project Manager at The Rivers Trust, reflects on why this initiative matters. He also shares some of the wildlife captured by trail cameras in the Republic of Ireland during last year’s Big River Watch, highlighting the variety of species that visit our waterways.

Learn more
Is a river alive

Is A River Alive? A word from Robert Macfarlane

  • The Rivers Trust
This week marks the release of Robert MacFarlane’s highly anticipated latest book, Is a River Alive? Passionate about the health of our waterways and the actions we can, and need, to take to restore them, Robert pens his thoughts on the Big River Watch after surveying his local river and the importance of connecting with the beauty of rivers.

Learn more
Stock image of a rocky river flowing through mountains with cloudy sky

Independent Water Commission: Our call to restore rivers

  • Rebecca Duncan
Read about how The Rivers Trust has contributed to the Independent Water Commission, and what we want to see to improve our rivers.

Learn more