Few things evoke a sense of the Great British outdoors like a babbling brook in full flow; dipping a toe into the icy water; the flash of a kingfisher as he dashes downstream, dragonflies darting through the reeds.

But all these are in danger- we’ve just had our driest spring for a hundred years and our rivers are running at the lowest levels ever recorded. At the same time, people are using more water than ever – and almost all of this comes directly from our rivers and streams.

It’s not just low water levels that are threatening our rivers- pollution from cities and agricultural runoff is also having a devastating effect on the health of these amazing
ecosystems. We need better quality water and more of it if we are to maintain our picturesque British rivers and the unique and abundant wildlife they support.

This is the aim of Our Rivers, to protect and restore the nation’s watercourses to pristine and thriving ecosystems. But we can’t do this alone – we need your help to muster support for Our Rivers so we can convince the Government to take action and properly protect rivers for future generations and ensure the upcoming Water White Paper provides adequate protection for our most cherished ecosystems.

Get involved by taking part in our national survey, become a friend on facebook, share your pictures with us on Flickr and tweet about what’s happening on your river.

You can also check out our latest campaigns here.

"I love the Axe, and particularly the Axe estuary. It's such a pretty little river, and full of bounty. The sea trout which I can never catch. The samphire which fortunately has nowhere to run and hide. And the wonderful wading birds that strut and stab along the muddy flanks of the estuary. Now I have a little fishing boat in Seaton harbour, I'm down there as often as I can be." Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Special thanks to all of those helping to keep our rivers clean and clear of polliution. Everyone from eco conscious individuals to UK and london office waste clearance companies play a part in doing this. Make sure that you do your bit by desposing of any waste properly, only working with licensed and accredited recycling/waste companies, and reporting any instances of fly tipping to your local council. Supporting any local environmental causes will also go a long way in helping to protect our wonderful rivers.