Herts Rivers Week encourages water and wildlife-saving heroes

From 23-31 May, Herts Rivers Week is returning for the second year running, with a renewed focus on the urgent need for everyone to save water and protect Hertfordshire’s globally rare and fragile chalk rivers.

Herts Rivers Week, hosted by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT), aims to put a spotlight on local chalk rivers and the wildlife they support, showing local communities how special they are, how they can enjoy them and what action they can take to ensure their longevity. This year, many other Hertfordshire-based organisations are running events to celebrate the week, and throughout the year many individuals and groups work to protect chalk streams, of which a high percentage do so voluntarily.

Chalk rivers are globally unique ecosystems. Around 85% of the world’s supply is found in England, and Hertfordshire and Middlesex are home to 10% of this global resource. Locally, they support some of our most beloved wildlife, including kingfishers, water voles, and wild brown trout. These rivers depend on consistent groundwater flows, yet they are increasingly under pressure from too much water being taken from them, prolonged dry conditions and a growing population. Hertfordshire sits within an area classified as seriously water stressed, and these pressures are intensified by water usage in the region, with the average person using 154 litres a day, compared to the national average of 137.

Kate Sheard, Wilder Communities Officer at Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, says, ‘Herts Rivers Week is a celebration of our chalk rivers and all they provide for both wildlife and people. Throughout the half-term week, there’s a full programme of events taking place. Many are family-friendly and provide an opportunity for younger members of our community to get a close-up look at our local rivers and their wild occupants – and many are offered free of charge or at a low cost. From river-dipping to a river-themed storytime, and from online talks to riverside walks, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

‘Whilst enjoying the wonder of our chalk rivers, we are aiming to build awareness of how we use water in our everyday lives. Really small changes to how we use water to clean our teeth, for example, can make a big difference – by choosing to use a beaker of water instead of keeping a tap running, we can save up to 63 beakers of water each time. And that will help to keep our rivers flowing. If more people care, that’s a giant step forward for the future of these rivers. I’m hopeful that we can come together to be the change we want to see for a more sustainable future.’

During drought periods, river flows can drop dramatically, with some chalk streams reduced to a trickle. In 2024, The Wildlife Trusts report Embracing Nature cited drought as the current leading threat to their nature reserves for the first time. In recent years, local rivers have run dry. These have encompassed most of the chalk river tributaries of the Lea Catchment, the largest catchment in Hertfordshire, including the Mimram, Rib, Quin, Beane, and Ash, reduced by 50% off their natural length in 2019, 2021, and at low flows in summer 2024.

Not only is Herts Rivers Week a chance for local people to get involved with their local river, but it is also an opportunity to demonstrate the power of collective voices. Behind the scenes, HMWT, a wildlife charity, which has over 24,000 local members, and which is backed by a national federation of one million voices, is asking the Government to commit to better protection for chalk rivers, given their global rarity. For the first time, chalk streams have been included in England’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) — a significant milestone made possible by the voices of its members and supporters through its Save Our Chalk Streams campaign. Whilst that is a considerable step forward, the Trust is calling on the Government to strengthen the NPPF and add chalk streams to the list of irreplaceable habitats. The public also have an opportunity to tell their MP to take action for healthier rivers through the Clean Water Now campaign.

To find out more about Herts Rivers Week and the programme of events visit hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/herts-rivers-week.

Image © Marissa Kodikara