UK rivers news

• The pollution court case that could reach far beyond the banks of the River Wye, theconversation.com (Oct 22, 2025)
• Stand-alone Welsh water regulator to replace Ofwat, BBC News (Oct 21, 2025)
• Thousands join biggest-ever UK environmental lawsuit over river pollution, BBC News (Oct 07, 2025)
• Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted, theguardian.com (Jul 30, 2025) — Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world and councillors says biodiversity in and around it has declined
• Council champions 'pioneering' Rights of River Charter to protect 'landmark waterway', lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk (Jul 09, 2025) — Charter will 'enshrine importance of River Ouse for generations to come'
• Exceptionally low river flows forecast across UK as drought threat grows, theguardian.com (May 14, 2025)
• New Forest site secured for wildlife with help from Southern Co-op, thenews.coop (Apr 30, 2025)
• Costly nitrogen pollution can be tackled by farmers adopting organic practices, Lords told, soilassociation.org (Mar 05, 2025)

• A new flow: pioneering UK river restoration declared a success, positive.news (Oct 21, 2024)

• How restoring rivers' natural curves can prevent flooding, BBC Future (Sep 19, 2024)

• As effluent from sewage works and agricultural pollution flow freely into rivers, researchers and local citizens are urgently seeking to clean up the UK's waterways. New wildlife-rich wetlands could be an answer, bbc.co.uk (Jul 05, 2024)

• ‘Give nature space and it will come back’: rewilding returns endangered species to UK’s south coast, theguardian.com (Jun 27, 2024)

• Thames21 welcomes Government’s plan to ban plastic in wet wipes, thames21.org.uk (Apr 22, 2024)
• A radical British politics rooted in nature is spreading – and the establishment doesn’t like it. John Harris, theguardian.com (Apr 21, 2024)

• A final line of defence: combatting the slow, agonising death of the River Wye, riveractionuk.com (Feb 09, 2024)
• Government in court over chicken poo in River Wye, BBC News (Feb 07, 2024)
• Pesticides urgently need reform – the UK’s overdue action plan must make these drastic changes, theconversation.com (Feb 05, 2024)

• ‘We can’t engineer our way out of this’: how to protect flood-hit Severn Valley, theguardian.com (Jan 27, 2024)

• Partnership project involving local communities helping nature and climate getting underway in Cambridge., climateoutreach.org (Sep 18, 2023) — The River Cam CAN (Climate Action through Nature) project will involve communities near the river working on initiatives that will benefit them and the environment. “The River Cam connects most of the city’s green spaces, habitats and communities – including some of the most economically and socially disadvantaged. The river system is also emblematic of the environmental challenges that Cambridge faces; it suffers from flooding, pollution, drought and over-use of water, all are getting worse, and many are connected to climate change. This has impacts on both communities and nature and this project is about encouraging people to get involved and help their rivers and streams." James Littlewood, Cambridge Past, Present & Future. The two-year project is a being delivered by a partnership of local organisations supported by the national charity Climate Outreach, with funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
• ‘Unacceptable’: how raw sewage has affected rivers in England and Wales – in maps, theguardian.com (Sep 12, 2023)

• ‘An utter disgrace’: 90% of England’s most precious river habitats blighted by raw sewage and farming pollution, theguardian.com (Aug 12, 2023)
• ‘Citizen scientists make a vital difference’: the locals who proved the River Wye was polluted, theguardian.com (Aug 12, 2023)
• Don’t just wait for the water firms – three things we can do right now to clean up Britain’s rivers, theconversation.com (Aug 11, 2023)
• Water bills: Fight for money back over sewage leaks begins, BBC News (Aug 09, 2023)

• Henley Rowers and Local Community Expose Sewage Pollution of the River Thames, river-action.prowly.com (Jul 03, 2023)

• At last, England’s dying rivers are an election issue – and the danger isn’t just sewage, George Monbiot, The Guardian (May 03, 2023)

• UK criticised for failing to join UN-backed river restoration scheme, newscientist.com (Mar 24, 2023)

• Why Britain’s rivers could be one solution to the energy crisis, positive.news (Feb 27, 2023)

• The activists taking on England’s sewage-spilling water firms – and winning, positive.news (Aug 23, 2022)
• How Sussex farmers plan to rewild a nature-rich green corridor to the sea, The Guardian (Jul 22, 2022)
• 'Chemical cocktail’ polluting English rivers - MPs warn, BBC News (Jan 13, 2022)

• Cross-party bloc of MPs back action on sewage discharge into rivers, Jan 9, 2021...^[1]
• Oxford council backs bid to stop water firm dumping sewage in Thames, Oct 9, 2020...^[2]
• The government is looking the other way while Britain's rivers die before our eyes, George Monbiot.^[3] Aug 12, 2020.
• With every flood, public anger over the climate crisis is surging, Gaby Hinsliff.^[4] Feb 22, 2020.
• How we ended up paying farmers to flood our homes, George Monbiot.^[5] Feb 18, 2020.

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