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The UK Rivers Network is not currently running any active campaigns, but you might like to browse these 20 or so campaigns being run by other groups.
Please feel free to add other river campaigns you know about to this page. It's very easy – just like editing Wikipedia. 
Here are some examples of the kinds of campaigns we welcome on this page:
“The Our Rivers campaign is spearheaded by a coalition of the country's leading NGOs - WWF, RSPB, the Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts although its strength will come from its roots - the wealth of knowledge that exists within local river networks. It is a campaign to focus attention on the rivers of England and Wales at a time when they need it most.
At the end of this year, as the Water Framework Directive is further implemented, the fate of every river in this country will be sealed in one of 11 River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs). The plans content MUST be informed by the people who know their rivers best; the local groups and individuals living and working on them.
The draft RBMPs have been criticised by leading NGOs not only for their significant lack of ambition but also for their impenetrability to all but a few with the time and resources to work through them. The upshot of this is that much of the local knowledge that exists about our rivers is not being fed into the official process. Our Rivers is working to turn this around.”
Find out more: Our Rivers.
“Save Our Waterways” (SOW) is a campaign dedicated to securing the long term future of our inland waterways. Save Our Waterways started as an informal action group, dedicated to taking the campaign against the cuts made by DEFRA to communities along our canals and rivers. “Save Our Waterways” embraces all waterways users (anglers, boaters, canoeists, cyclists, runners, walkers, etc.) and those who live and work beside the waterways. During the process of catalysing dozens of protest events and gathering over 40,000 signatures on our petition, we realised that most users of the waterway are unrepresented. So, just 18 months later, we decided to transform SOW into a membership based organisation that could represent the what we call the casual users of our inland waterways.” Find out more: Save Our Waterways.
“In England and Wales, unlike elsewhere in the world, the public cannot assume there is an automatic right to have access to rivers. People are incredulous when they are made aware of this situation. The campaign is to secure this right as a matter of public interest. In the UK, Scotland already enjoys that right.
Research has revealed that prior to 1830, it was generally accepted the public had a historical right of access to rivers. Legal opinions since have continued to diminish this position and created a lack of clarity for such a right.
The campaign is not just for canoeists. It is for all members of the public who share the view that a legal right for access to and along water would provide enormous recreational, educational and economic opportunities. A right of access will provide certainty for the future of water related sport and recreation. The campaign has gained support from many interest groups and organisations who seek more access to enjoy the natural water environment—swimmers, anglers, walkers etc.”
You can find out more about the Rivers Access Campaign (A campaign funded by Canoe England to raise awareness of the access issue on inland waterways in England (and Wales) and to bring about a change to the access situation.) Some years ago, George Monbiot wrote a good article about the absurdities of current river access legislation that's worth a look.
The UK Rivers Network has long supported people campaigning to make it easier for people to swim outdoors. We fully acknowledge the safety risks of swimming in rivers and lakes, of course, but that doesn't mean people should only be allowed to swim in nasty chlorinated indoor pools. The key is to provide good quality information explaining to people exactly where and when it is safe to swim out of doors by properly designating more official “bathing waters”, as required by European legislation. Find out more from the River and Lake Swimming Association and the Outdoor Swimming Society.
Water companies are trying to raise extra drainage charges from community groups with low incomes and large buildings, including churches, scout groups, and other community organizations. Find out more about the Don't Drain Us campaign to stop them.
Charles Clover's campaign against irresponsible seafood fishing began with an excellent book and has now become a film. Find out more at The End of the Line.
“The Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign officially expands SAS's campaign remit to encompass important issues close to the heart of all surfers and waveriders - protecting waves. Behind the scenes SAS has been consistently representing surfers and waveriders on rights of access, and ensuring the wave resource is recognised and valued. The POW campaign will ensure that the full force of the SAS campaign team can be thrown at issues threatening waves.” SAS have been active on inland pollution issues and keeping water clean for all recreational water users (not just surfers) for many years.
According to Plantlife, the wild-plant conservation charity, “Whether you are interested in the environment or not, the problems caused by non-native invasive plants affect us all.” Their Against the Flow campaign is an attempt to tackle invasive plants by getting anglers, gardeners, and others to help survey the problem.
Long-term followers of our website will know we've been campaigning against balloon releases for more than a decade: see the balloon fact sheet and Up, up, and away leaflet in our education section for a quick briefing. The Marine Conservation Society have been active on the issue for even longer. Don't Let Go is the name of their current anti-balloon campaign. They have some great campaigning and publicity material to help spread the word that mass balloon releases can have a major impact on wildlife. Think of balloons as litter fired into the sky, bound to return to Earth, and you'll be along the right lines.
You can help protect wetlands in a very direct way by supporting The Wildlife Trusts in their Petland campaign to reduce the use of peat in our gardens: “The Wildlife Trusts’ vision for peatlands: By 2010, The Wildlife Trusts wish to see all priority peatlands in the UK in positive conservation management and 90% of the UK market for peat products to be replaced by peat-free alternatives.” Take a look at the Wildlife Trust website for a list of peat-free alternatives−or simply Google how to make your own compost.
“If you hate litter and would like to do something positive to help keep your local area clean and tidy, why not join the Big Tidy Up campaign? The Big Tidy Up (organized by Keep Britain Tidy) aims to get every one out on the streets cleaning up their corner of the community in the country’s biggest ever litter pick. Thousands of people across the country are already taking part to clean up their patch but we need you to do your bit and help make this the biggest tidy up ever!” Taking appropriate precautions, you could clean-up river banks or rivers too.
“Waterways funding continues to be a major concern. The Inland Waterways Association is alarmed at the depth of the cut in grant-in-aid for British Waterways for next financial year (2010/11). It is being reduced from this year’s available grant of £57.448m to just £47.848m, representing a reduction of over 16.7%. We are concerned that the Environment Agency will receive similar treatment. IWA believes that the threat of underinvestment in the waterways must be addressed by all stakeholders in the waterways – now!”
Read more on the The Inland Waterways Association SOS2010 page.
Save Our Severn is a campaign against the re-emergence of plans to build a tidal-energy barrage across the River Severn. “There's a widely-held view that, to extract power from the Severn Estuary, you don't have a choice: you have to build a large-scale barrage such as the Cardiff-Weston or the Shoots Barrage. If the environmental cost is catastrophic, it's too bad… we have to make sacrifices. But we don't. There are superior, lower impact alternatives that can do the same job, without the environmental damage.”
Also campaigning on the Severn Barrage, Stop the Barrage Now a coalition of groups including the UK and Welsh Green Parties, the Severn Rivers Trust, and the Salmon & Trout Association. According to their website: “Our aim is to make the Government rule out any Barrage across the Severn as it considers ways of harnessing the power of the estuary to generate renewable energy. We want to make it clear from the outset that this campaign is not against renewable energy, but against the Barrage, an inefficient and highly damaging option for harnessing the power of the Severn. The Stop the Barrage NOW campaign intends to halt any further discussion, consideration, or the continued waste of taxpayer's money of this proposal.”
Development plans for the Ribble have a habit of coming back again. Save the Ribble is an entertaining blog that follows the long-running campaign to preserve the beauty of the River Ribble, opposing the Riverworks 'vision' to build a barrage and develop on riverbanks, floodplains and green spaces, causing damage to wildlife and the environment and increasing the risk of flooding to local homes.
CALM (Campaign Against the Levels Motorway) has been fighting the resurrection of plans to build a new toll motorway through the Gwent Levels in Wales, a wetland area of enormous wildlife importance close to the internationally important Severn Estuary and River Usk. This plan was finally defeated in July 2009 and CALM is now promoting more sustainable alternatives.
“In recent years repeated attempts have been made to stop independent punt operators from trading. These attempts have often been made by the larger established companies in their attempt to dominate the market. However now the Cambridge City Council is threatening to enact measures that would effectively spell and end to independent punt operators in all but a token capacity and allow the largest operator Scudamores Punting Company to operate without having to deal with any real competition.” Find out more: Save Independent Punting.
Some positive news in this long-running battle: “N Power have announced they no longer need Thrupp Lake and that they are appointing a Conservation Trust to take over the management of the area… Save Radley Lakes are hoping to be involved with Northmoor Trust in their vision for the future of Thrupp Lake and an Environmental Centre proposed to be made from the house on the site called Sandles.” The campaign is still fund-raising to pay legal bills. Read more: Save Radley Lakes.
“The Angling Trust is campaigning with one of its member clubs to reverse a decision by Severn Trent Water to stop angling on the dam wall and east bank at Foremark Reservoir in Derbyshire. The reason? Health and safety! The company says that it is concerned that anglers will hook passers-by or that they might fall over on the dam.” Anglers (who've fished at Foremark for decades) are not amused. Read more: Angling Trust Current Campaigns: Foremark Reservoir.
“The River Garry has been destroyed in the quest for power. It was wholly sacrificed for the production of electricity. But now there is hope.” Find out more: Save the Garry.
“Scottish Power are currently applying to reduce the compensation flow in the River Doon from 45million gallons day down to 28mgd and to transfer even more of the Doon's water down the Kirkcudbrightshire Dee. This is allegedly under the pretence of complying with EU regulations although it is understood that they intend to fit more turbines in the Dee to generate more money for themselves. The River Doon supports iconic species such as Atlantic salmon and endangered freshwater pearl mussels and is a hugely important social, recreational, and economic resource in Ayrshire.” Find out more and sign the petition: Save the Doon.
“The aim of the Campaign is to seek the proper and adequate protection of all Welsh fisheries, be they situated in the seas around our coast, in the rivers and streams that flow into that sea or landlocked lakes and ponds. These fisheries are our inheritance and we are duty bound to see that they are passed on from generation to generation with abundant, healthy and well protected stock.” Read more from the Campaign for the Protection of Welsh fisheries.
Save our Sands has been campaigning against dredging in the Gower for some years now. “Gower SOS Offshore dredging in the Bristol Channel from sand banks has removed over 100 Million tons of sand since the 1950's. The levels of sand on beaches is dropping, the fish stocks are getting less. Is there a connection? Does it affect me? Can I do something about it?” Follow progress on the Gower SOS blog.
The Rivers Network has issued occasional position statements on hot topics:
For the most up-to-date information about international river campaigns, take a look at:
