Our Action Plan for Cleaner, Safer Rivers (2026–2027)
How we’re working together to protect Leicester’s rivers, tribs and brooks
Clean River Action is community‑powered group working to protect and restore the soar and its connected waterways. Everything we do is rooted in evidence, transparency, and community involvement.
This Action Plan sets out how we’ll monitor our rivers, gather reliable data, support volunteers, and push for the transparency our community deserves.
1. What We’re Here to Do
Our mission is simple:
• Protect and restore local rivers and brooks
• Gather high‑quality community evidence
• Hold polluters and regulators to account
• Support residents with clear, factual information
• Build a strong, informed local movement
We do this calmly, collaboratively, and with a focus on transparency.
2. How We Monitor Our Rivers
We run regular river walks and citizen‑science monitoring sessions across Leicester and Leicestershire.
Volunteers help us record:
• Water clarity and colour
• Odours and unusual discharges
• Wildlife health
• Rainfall and flow conditions
• Photos and videos of anything concerning
We’re also building a map of outfalls across the area, including unmapped or poorly documented ones.
This evidence helps us understand what’s happening on the ground and where action is needed.
3. Transparency & Accountability
We believe the public deserves clear, honest information about what’s happening in their rivers.
That’s why we publish:
• Incident reports
• Monthly transparency scorecards
• Live Map vs Reality comparisons
• Reviews of Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) responses
• Data‑driven reports on spills, mapping gaps, and anomalies
We also submit regular EIR requests to water companies and regulators to fill in the gaps.
4. Community Involvement
Our strength comes from the community.
We run:
• Monthly community river walks
• “Know Your Rivers” sessions in community spaces
• A volunteer WhatsApp hub
• Training for citizen science and safe evidence gathering
• Opportunities for people to contribute even if they only have 10 minutes a week
Everyone is welcome, families, dog walkers, students, anglers, photographers, and anyone who cares about their local environment.
5. Citizen Science
We’re building a growing network of volunteers who help test:
• Turbidity (water clarity)
• Phosphates
• Nitrates
• Temperature
• Ammonia
These readings help us track changes over time and spot early warning signs.
6. Working With Councils, MPs & Regulators
We share our evidence with:
• Local councillors
• MPs
• The Environment Agency
• Trent Rivers Trust
• Other river groups and campaigners
Our aim is to ensure that incidents are properly investigated, assets are accurately mapped, and the public is kept informed.
7. Partnerships
We are keen to collaborate with other river action groups and environmental groups, so get in touch!
These partnerships will help strengthen our evidence and widen our impact.
8. What’s Coming Up (2026–2027)
Spring–Summer 2026
• Publish Knighton Park pollution report
• Launch citizen‑science testing at multiple sites
• Begin public outfall mapping
• Release monthly transparency scorecards
• Hold community river walks and “Know Your Brook” events
Autumn 2026
• Publish “State of the River: Summer 2026”
• Release first “Live Map vs Reality” report
• Meet with MPs and councillors
• Expand testing to more brooks and tributaries
Winter 2026–Spring 2027
• Publish annual transparency report
• Update outfall map (v2)
• Host a community forum
• Review and strengthen volunteer roles
9. How You Can Get Involved
• Join a river walk
• Help with water testing
• Share photos or videos of anything unusual
• Report odours, cloudy water, or debris
• Help us map outfalls
• Spread the word in your community
Every observation helps build a clearer picture of what’s happening in our rivers.
10. Our Principles
Everything we do is:
• Calm
• Factual
• Community‑centred
• Evidence‑driven
• Transparent
• Collaborative
This is how we build trust and how we create lasting change.