The Rivers Trust has published its State of Our Rivers report 2026 which shows that there has been no overall improvement in river health in England since the last report in 2024 - but a closer look shows action is having a positive impact.

None of England’s 4,000 river stretches are in good overall health, with only 15% achieving good or higher ecological health – the same as in the last report in 2024. This means the 2027 Water Framework Directive health targets are likely to be missed.

Clear calls to action are set out for governments, businesses, landowners, media, and the river-using public, including:

• better governance and regulation
• fairer funding for farmers
• addressing pollution at source
• investing more in nature-based solutions

The report comes following two summers of drought, highlighting the impact of climate change and calling for more targeted action, together with comprehensive data and insights gathered by Rivers Trust experts and begins with a foreword by Author Robert Macfarlane.

The report combines the latest available data with the bespoke, interactive maps and graphics that epitomise The Rivers Trust’s evidence-led approach to river protection and restoration. Illuminative case studies help to understand the issues affecting rivers, the actions needed to restore them to good health, and where progress is being made.

Chemicals, phosphates, and even treated sewage discharges are serious threats to river health, while climate change is a key driver of deterioration in rivers; acting as a threat multiplier, making the impacts of all the other pressures rivers face worse.

However, there is hope, the Rivers Trust says - action is having a positive impact with successes and improvements when we look closer, even though the overall picture shows no significant improvement.

In a foreword written exclusively for The Rivers Trust, writer Robert Macfarlane says:

“This report has three vital roles to play. It makes available up-to-date, trusted data about river heath and river threats. It details both causes and solutions. And it inspires and empowers everyone – from individuals and small citizen groups, to landowners and farmers, all the way up to water companies and parliamentarians – to work for a better river future in the UK and Ireland.”

Following the latest State of Our Rivers Report in 2024, this third edition sets out what has and hasn’t changed since then, and explores the themes of water quality, water quantity, wildlife, and communities in depth. It sheds light on the threats and harms facing rivers, all of which are exacerbated by climate change, but also shares the solutions and success stories making rivers fit for the future.

In addition to the main report, The Rivers Trust team has created ‘deep dives’, which provide more detail on the themes of: chemical pollution; phosphate pollution; Atlantic salmon; flood and drought; and treated sewage discharges, allowing people to better understand these key issues and the actions needed to address them on a landscape scale.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust, said:

“The State of Our Rivers report has fast become a vital tool for governments, the media, businesses, conservation organisations, and all river users to fully understand how healthy - or unhealthy - our rivers are. And, crucially, it sets out what action is needed to revitalise rivers for wildlife and communities. We hope it will inform and empower people – from Prime Ministers to households – across the UK and Ireland to take whatever action they can to make rivers more resilient for future generations.”

Click here to access the report online