Why must we keep on swimming in rivers?
River swimming has never been more topical – or more important. We asked Rebecca Duncan from the Rivers Trust why a mindful moment at the river goes far beyond ourselves.
Swimming in rivers is special. Much as I love taking a dip in my local swimming baths, floating across a serene lake, or immersing myself in the sea, something about river swimming just hits differently. Rivers are the arteries of our landscape, the lifeblood of everything that happens on land. They hold a fascination for me because they are constantly moving and travelling, and, by swimming in rivers, we become part of that movement.
Why do I swim in rivers?
Every time I swim outdoors, I take a moment at the end to pause and take in my surroundings. As a city dweller who enjoys hustle and bustle and finds it difficult to switch off, swimming is the perfect way to access some mindfulness. Acknowledging this, just for a few seconds, reconnects me with nature and keeps me calm and grounded. What a shame, then, to think that a mindful moment could be blighted by encountering drifting litter, scummy foam, or even human waste in the water.
With river pollution being catapulted into the headlines in recent years, it’s understandable for swimmers to be worried. In fact, it’s right to be concerned – our waterways are not being used and treated as they should. But that doesn’t mean you should despair. Many of us who work at The Rivers Trust remain avid river swimmers even though we know the challenges they’re facing all too well.
How can swimmers enjoy rivers while staying safe?
Despite the human tendency towards doom and gloom, safe river swimming is still a realistic possibility in the UK – you just need to be informed. The first step is to understand the signs of pollution so you know when swimming isn’t such a wise idea. Pollution can be visible or invisible, but warning signs to look out for include:
- Murky or foamy water: Unusual discolouration, cloudiness, or surface scum can all indicate the presence of pollution.
- Unpleasant odours: A strong sewage smell suggests a recent or ongoing wastewater discharge.
- Algal blooms: These are easy to spot, look for large areas of green on the surface – sometimes looking a like a green paint spill.
- Visible litter: Obvious signs of plastic waste or other rubbish often signal poor water quality.
- Recent heavy rainfall: Storm overflows release sewage during and soon after heavy rainfall, additionally rain can wash pollutants from farmland and roads into rivers.
- Pollution alerts: Check updates on The Rivers Trust sewage map for discharging sewage in your area.
Even if you can’t see any of these, there are further practical steps we recommend to swim safely.
Swimming after heavy rainfall comes with increased risks such as strong flows washing you downstream, getting snagged on storm debris that has washed down, and, of course, an increased likelihood of pollution, particularly at sites downstream of CSOs.
When you do swim, if you’re in any doubt about the water quality, keep your head above the water and shower as soon as you get home. As well as your warm layers and tow float for safety, you should also wear earplugs, cover any open wounds, wash your hands and rinse your mouth out post-swim as regular parts of your swim routine. As your knowledge and understanding of your swim spots increases, you’ll learn to weigh up the risk of pollution alongside others you’re already used to, such as water temperature and flow.
One step further for rivers
If you’re interested in improving your understanding even further while also helping to drive action for healthier rivers, you can join the Big River Watch later this month. The Big River Watch is a simple citizen science survey that takes around 15 minutes to complete and includes a handy pollution ID guide. It’s not all about the negative, though, as it allows you to record any wildlife you see and to reflect on the state of the river as you see it. Perhaps most importantly, you can also let us know how spending time by the river makes you feel.
Perhaps most importantly, you can also let us know how spending time by the river makes you feel.
The idea behind the Big River Watch is to help fill a crucial evidence gap in river health and water quality monitoring, which will then inform better environmental decision-making. We want to see communities at the heart of these processes, so the data contributed by groups like swimmers is vital in helping our movement deliver improvements to rivers across the UK and Ireland.
The next Big River Watch takes place from 25th April to 1st May, and data will be added in near-real time to our Data Dashboard. So if you’re out by the river, you can turn a personal moment of mindfulness into environmental advocacy at the tap of a button.
Click here to download the app and speak up for your local river.
The Rivers Trust is the umbrella body for the Rivers Trust network, providing support with fundraising, advocacy and knowledge-sharing. Visit our website to find more ways to get involved.
