The River Wye has now reached a state of emergency. It is being killed by pollution, a chemical cocktail of excessive agricultural nutrients (over 70%*), sewage (22-24%*), microplastics and superbugs.
(*EA modelling 2023)
About Us
All rivers are important, all life depends on them. Our connection to the river Wye is strong. We live, work, play and are inspired by it. We write songs, poems and create art about it. We are passionate about defending it and all life that depends on it – for ourselves and for the future. If the river dies, we die.
In July 2021 we undertook a month-long pilgrimage along the River Wye from its source to where it flows into the Severn estuary. A celebration of this magnifcent river to raise awareness of the environmental destruction it is facing. Pure water was collected from the source at Pumlumon (Plynlimon), in Wales, and carried by a succession of walkers alongside the Wye, accompanied by swimmers, canoeists and paddleboarders, through areas of great pollution.
Walking with the Wye 2021 ©EamonBourke
Walking with the Wye 2021 ©SallySimons
Mollie Meagre delivering the pure source water with the SARA (Seven Area Rescue Assoc) team at Beachley Point where the Wye meets the Severn
The water was distributed along the way to bring attention to the deteriorating state of the rivers and the life that depends on them. Special ‘handover events’ engaged local people at key places en route including Hay, Hereford, Ross, Lydbrook, Redbrook and Chepstow.
Walking With The Wye was a breakthrough event for our campaign, bringing Save The Wye local, regional and national media attention. From then on both the media and the local public have shown sustained interest in the state of the Wye.
A year on, with the river now reaching critical tipping points, we created ‘WyeJuly’, a month of events held along the river in Hay, Hereford, Leominster and Monmouth attended by over 2500 people.
Our events celebrated the river through poetry, music and song. We brought communities together to discuss what they could do, to focus awareness on the continuing decline in water quality, and to demonstrate how much we care for our rivers.
Ben Taylor Davies (Regenben) speaking at Lift the River, Hay Castle, 2022
Nick Day, Co Founder of Friends of the Lower Wye, demonstrating water quality testing, Monmouth WyeJuly 2022
River sampling activities at the Family Fun Day by Victoria Bridge in Hereford WyeJuly 2022
Sharing the interests and concerns of citizens about the River Lugg, tributary of the Wye, at Leominster WyeJuly 2022 with CPRE Herefordshire
Angela Jones, Wild Woman of the Wye, passionate river campaigner and Founder of Save the River Usk, sharing her intimate knowledge of our dying river at WyeJuly Monmouth 2022
Photo Credit: Eamon Bourke
We demand the restoration of the river to its former health, beauty and biodiversity and for its water to be safe enough to swim and play in once again.
About the river Wye
The iconic river Wye, said to be the birth place of tourism, stretches for 155 miles and is deemed one of the most important rivers in Europe for nature conservation. It has two designated Sites of Special Scientifc Interest (SSSI, Upper and Lower Wye), is also a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and passes through the Wye Valley, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
- Voted the nation’s favourite river (Our Rivers campaign 2010)
- It forms part of the border between England and Wales
- It flows through four Counties – Powys, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire
- The watercourse is home to an abundance of wildlife including swans, herons, cormorants, otters, Atlantic salmon, freshwater pearl mussel, white clawed crayfish, sea and river lamprey, mayflies and dragonflies
- There are extensive beds of water crowfoot (Ranunculus) which are of international importance