We are proud of the contribution made by Windsor RiverWatch towards the historic adoption of a Charter of Rights for the River Thames (known as the ‘Thames Carta’) on 22 September 2026 by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council.

 

Nature has inherent rights which everyone, in their own way, can respect. Doing so for the river would fill a gap in how the Thames is protected and can be restored to good health, and having the Council’s commitment marks a significant step forward.

 

Whilst it’s the job of the Environment Agency to enforce regulations, there are lots of positive things that can be done proactively by other people and organisations beyond the EA. We’re all in the same boat when it comes to the negative impacts of the deterioration of our rivers and water quality.

 

The Charter recognises the intrinsic rights of the River Thames and its tributaries, establishing a framework for action to improve the river’s ecological condition:

• The right to flow

• The right to biodiversity

• The right to be free from pollution

• The right to a healthy catchment

• The right to regenerate

• The right to representation

 

Our main focus is on water sampling and gathering evidence, describing the condition of the River Thames through monitoring data, pollution incidents and ecological decline. This Charter adds something different. It reframes the condition of the Thames based on our relationship, responsibility and respect for the river itself. The data we gather serves this wider perspective too, using numbers to support values.

 

By adopting this Charter, we are able to demonstrate to our local Council that this is something that the community cares about. We believe Windsor and Maidenhead is the first of many Councils along the Thames that will adopt the Thames Carta and urge other river action groups to support this Charter (www.thamescarta.org/sign-charter) and then prompt their Councillors to do the same.

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