This page explains the importance of the River Wye, the challenges it faces, and the collaborative actions being taken to restore its health.

The River Wye is the UK’s fourth longest river, flowing 155 miles along the England–Wales border. Its rich wildlife includes otters, kingfishers, rare mussels, and iconic salmon. The river is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), giving it the UK’s highest level of protection.

The Environment Agency plays a key role in improving water quality by:

• Monitoring river health and reducing pollution sources
• Protecting habitats and biodiversity
• Regulating activities impacting water quality
• Advising on sustainable development
• Coordinating catchment w‑ide action to tackle nutrient pressures

Working in partnership

The Environment Agency is a member of the Wye Catchment Partnership, formed in 2014 to bring together organisations, initiatives, and individuals committed to water quality, wildlife, and sustainable land use.

An extensive programme of advisory and support work is also being delivered through Catchment Sensitive Farming and our partners, including the the Wye and Usk Foundation, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, Herefordshire Rural Hub and Farm Herefordshire.

Environment Agency Monitoring

The importance of data

The Wye catchment is environmentally complex, shaped by varied landscapes, rich biodiversity, and extensive agriculture. Data is essential for tackling the Wye’s environmental challenges. It reveals how land use, hydrology, and ecological factors interact and highlights key pollution sources. This shared understanding guides effective, evidence-based action. The Environment Agency are collecting data at the fastest rate ever through:

• Monitoring sondes: probes that automatically transmit water chemistry data in real time
• Autosamplers: devices that collect water samples periodically and can be triggered remotely
• Remote sensing: using drones, aerial photography and satellite images for a bird's-eye view of ground conditions
• Citizen science: research carried out by members of the public.

We also routinely monitor the ecological condition of the catchment through a variety of sampling methods and surveys, carried out at different times of the year. This wealth of information ensures that we focus our catchment-based work in the areas where it will have the greatest benefit.

Growing season monitoring

In the summer months we also collect water quality data to check water temperature and algal blooms. The data from these sondes is shared here: MDC - Meteor Data Cloud (telemetry-data.com)(External link)

We share this information in our Growing Season Summary Report which is an overview of our survey work in the River Wye during growing season (March to September). This report focuses on key findings from water chemistry and algae surveys and feeds into our annual Data Analysis Report, which provides evidence-based information on the ecological health of the river.

You can view all published reports on this webpage.

Citizen Science

Citizen science engages volunteers from all backgrounds in research. Over 400 citizen scientists monitor water quality along the River Wye, collecting and classifying data. Groups across the Wye catchment have formed the Wye Alliance, using consistent methods to collect and upload data into EPICOLLECT. This unified approach improves data accuracy and helps the Environment Agency better understand the catchment.

Citizen Scientists have created their own dashboard using the data they have collected which is publicly accessible via the Wye Viz platform.