News | Recovering the Deben from Source to Sea

NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE DEBEN CATCHMENT

Check out the latest news and updates on the river Deben and the Recovering the Deben From Source to Sea project.

If you have a news item you'd like to share then please contact: info@essexsuffolkriverstrust.org

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JULY 2026 - DCC SHARE JULY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

The Deben Climate Centre have published their latest environmental monitoring results for the River Deben and its tributaries including testing the water for E.coli, phosphates, nitrates, ammonia, and dissolved oxygen. After weeks without any significant rainfall and with two recent heat waves, river levels remain at a low level with many dry sample points.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

JUNE 2026 - DEBENHAM RIVER FESTIVAL RECAP

Community engagement remains an incredibly important activity when it comes to caring for our rivers, the important habitats that they support, and how we as communities interact with our waterways. Discover the highlights of the Debenham River Festival in our recap!

Read more on our blog.

JUNE 2026 - DCC SHARE JUNE ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Deben Climate Centre volunteers and team members took to the catchment on Monday 1st June for their environmental monitoring. June's result were taken just before the June's rains came to the catchment, meaning there is now much more water in the river than at the time of sampling.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

MAY 2026 - FOUR RIVERS PROJECT SHARES WORKSHOP REPORTS

The Deben Climate Centre leads the Four Rivers Restoration Project, aiming to regenerate East Suffolk river landscapes through community actions, citizen science and nature-based solutions in the Deben, the Alde & Ore, the Blyth and the Waveney. Reports and findings from recent project workshops are now available online.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

MAY 2026 - DCC SHARE MAY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Deben Climate Centre volunteers and team members took to the catchment on Tuesday 5th May for their environmental monitoring. May's data was affected by low flow, unsurprising considering the low rainfall for April and May. With less rain, there did not appear to be reported Combined Sewer Outflow releases.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

APR 2026 - DEBEN ESTUARY 2025 FISH SURVEYS REPORT PUBLISHED

Richard Verril's article shares reports and results of the 2025 fish surveys completed by the River Deben Association, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and the Institute of Fisheries Management. The surveys are conducted at two sites: Bawdsey beach and Martlesham Wilds Nature Reserve.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

APR 2026 - DCC SHARE APRIL ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Deben Climate Centre volunteers and team members took to the catchment on Tuesday 7th April for their environmental monitoring. This session was accompanied by some sunny and warm weather. River levels were found to be relatively low for the time of year, considering the lower levels of rain in recent weeks.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

APR 2026 - BREACH AT THE UFFORD HOLE CREATES RIVER FLOW CRISIS

The collapse of part of the weir at Ufford Hole has caused significant habitat damage and altered river flows, prompting local organisations and authorities to work together on plans to restore the site and protect wildlife.

Read more on our blog.

MAR 2026 - THE UPPER DEBEN - UNDERSTANDING THE RIVER UPSTREAM

For many people, the River Deben is synonymous with sailing boats, mudflats and the wide estuary between Woodbridge and the sea. Yet long before the river reaches those familiar waters, it begins its journey quietly in the Suffolk countryside above Debenham, winding through fields and villages before making its way downstream.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

MAR 2026 - EROSION ON THE DEBEN: BAWDSEY, WALDRINGFIELD, UFFORD

The tidal Deben Estuary is under assault, with Bawdsey Haven Yacht Club at the mouth of the estuary and Waldringfield Sailing Club half-way-up the estuary taking up the challenge to hold the line and retain public footpaths.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

MAR 2026 - DCC SHARE MARCH ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Deben Climate Centre volunteers and team members took to the catchment on Monday 2nd March for their environmental monitoring. This data was collected during some much missed sunny weather, showing data to look very different to that collected earlier in the year.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

FEB 2026 - EA FUNDED TREE PLANTING AT BRIDGE AND IVY FARMS

Environment Agency funding has enabled new tree planting at Bridge and Ivy Farms in the Deben catchment, helping to improve habitat connectivity and support wildlife. The project highlights how working with landowners can deliver practical, nature-based solutions that benefit both the river environment and the wider landscape.

Read more on our blog.

FEB 2026 - DCC SHARE FEBRUARY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Deben Climate Centre volunteers and team members took to the catchment on Monday 2nd February for their environmental monitoring. This data was collected after several days of rain, affecting some collected results.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

JAN 2026 - RDA SHARES EXHIBIT WORK OF BOB CRAWLEY RESULTS

Alan Comber notes the work of a striking exhibit at the Waldringfield Tidelines exhibition form August 2025. A set of posters produced by Bob Crawley including his research into the Deben sea walls.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

JAN 2026 - DCC SHARE JANUARY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

Team members and volunteers from the Deben Climate Centre used a snowy and cold Monday 5th January for environment monitoring along the Deben, experiencing much cooler than usual atmospheric and water temperatures and some sample points being frozen over.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

DEC 2025 - ESTUARY WATER QUALITY UPDATE - WOODBRIDGE OUTFALL SAFARI

Waldringfield Bathing Water Designation Area has achieved (announced 25th October 2025) a second year of clear run 20/20 [Excellent] measurements across the May-September Environment Agency (EA) bathing season.

Read more on the River Deben Association Website.

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NOV 2025 - WOODS FOR WATER EVENT RECAP

Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust joined partner organisations at a Forestry Commission-led Woods for Water event in Wickham Market, where landowners and local residents learned how tree planting and woodland management can improve water quality, reduce flood risk and support wildlife across the River Deben catchment.

Read more on our blog.

SEP 2025 - BEAUTY OF THE DEBEN ESTUARY SEEN FROM NEW COASTAL PATH

A stretch of a new walking route is set to open up one of the region's most beautiful saltmarsh landscapes. The King Charles III England Coast Path, external now includes 11 new miles (17.7km) around the Deben Estuary, linking Felixstowe Ferry to Bawdsey in Suffolk.

Read more on the BBC News website.

AUG 2025 - MAJOR RIVERS TO GET ROUTINE SEWAGE POLLUTION TESTS

The Four Rivers Project in Suffolk will now also cover the Alde-Ore river system, the Waveney and the Blyth. It builds on work done by volunteers on the Deben to highlight sewage spills and other pollution, and will be backed by more than £200,000 from East Suffolk Council over three years.

Read more on the BBC News website.

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JULY 2025 - WOODBRIDGE AND MELTON STORM OVERFLOW INCIDENT IN JULY

Deben Climate Centre volunteers conducted their monthly sampling on Monday 7th July after the weekend rains. The samples taken from the tidal section, between Wilford Bridge at Melton and Kyson Point near Woodbridge, were tested for E,coli and the results showed that a major pollution incident was in progress.

Read more on the Deben Climate Centre website.

JULY 2025 - LOWESTOFT SWIM BAN LIFTED BUT DEBEN WATER STILL ' WORRYING'

After a recent sewage spill, Lowestoft’s seawater has been declared safe for swimming again by the Environment Agency. However, water campaigners in Woodbridge remain concerned about the health of the River Deben.

JULY 2025 - LOWER DEBEN LANDOWNERS CALL FOR ACTION TO MAINTAIN RIVER

In summer, parts of the River Deben are barely visible beneath dense foliage - but two winters ago it burst its banks causing widespread devastation. The damage caused by Storm Babet in 2023 prompted landowners based along the banks of the river to form the Lower Deben Riparian Owners Group (LDOG) in August last year.

Read more on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

JUNE 2025 - BATHERS URGED TO CHECK WATER QUALITY THIS SUMMER

The Environment Agency (EA) is urging bathers to check water quality before taking a dip in rivers and beaches this summer. The agency is taking samples from 451 bathing waters throughout England between 15 May and 30 September - on the lookout for levels of two particular types of bacteria.

Read more on the BBC News website.

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MAY 2025 - £80M RINGFENCED TO IMPROVE BATHING WATER QUALITY

Anglian Water has ringfenced over £80 million in a dedicated bathing water investment pot. It will fund a programme of source apportionment studies at a number of inland and coastal locations, including Woodbridge on the River Deben in Suffolk.

Read more on the Water Magazine website.

Protestors have said they are "outraged" by the sewage scandal (Image: Surfers Against Sewage)

MAY 2025 - WOODBRIDGE PROTESTORS 'OUTRAGED' BY RIVER DEBEN POLLUTION

Protestors “outraged” at sewage discharges into the River Deben have taken to the water to swim, kayak and sail in a demonstration against the pollution.

Read more on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

Deben wetland. Image by Natural England (OGL3)

MAY 2025 - HARNESSING NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS TO COMBAT FLOODING

As climate change brings more frequent and severe flooding, innovative solutions are emerging to tackle these challenges. Working with nature, not against it, Natural England is proposing schemes to help tackle flooding in Norfolk and Suffolk. Projects on the Wissey and Deben show how working with nature can combat flooding.

Read more on the East Anglia Bylines website.

Two people conducting a fish survey in a tidal creek, using a large seine net.

FEB 2025 - RDA PUBLISH CITIZEN SCIENCE FISH SURVEY RESULTS

The River Deben Association have been supporting the Institute of Fisheries Management in conducting fish surveys on the lower Deben. Results of the 2024 survey have been published, highlighting fish found at the mouth of the Deben as well as at a new site, supported by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust near Martlesham.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

JAN 2025 - £280K SECURED TO HELP REDUCE FLOOD RISK IN DEBENHAM

The East Suffolk Catchment Partnership have secured £280,000 of funding from the Environment Agency’s Water Environment Improvement Fund to create two new natural flood storage areas, which will help lower the risk of flooding downstream in the Deben catchment.

JAN 2025 - WATER QUALITY UPDATE FROM THE RIVER DEBEN ASSOCIATION

Is it safe to swim in the Deben? What's the overall water quaility? What are the problems in specific areas? Here's a detailed summary from RDA co-chair Colin Nicholson drawing on data from 2024 water sampling programmes:

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

JAN 2025 - EAST SUFFOLK COUNCIL BANS HIRING OF PERSONAL WATER CRAFT

East Suffolk Council took the decision not to license commercial operators after hundreds of people objected during a consultation. At a meeting on Monday, councillors voted against licensing, although private owners can still use them as that does not fall within the authority's jurisdiction.

Read more on the BBC News website.

A collection of small boats and kayaks resting on a grassy and gravel area near a calm waterfront. A few sailboats are moored in the background, with a white building and wooden docks nearby under an overcast sky.

JAN 2025 - HUNDREDS OBJECT TO HIRING PERSONAL WATER CRAFTS ON DEBEN

A consultation on whether to allow licenses to hire out personal water craft (PWC) has received hundreds of objections. More than 370 people responded to the consultation by East Suffolk Council. The majority of people objected on the grounds of "public safety, public nuisance and concerns over the impact on wildlife".

Read more on the BBC News website.

A redshank bird standing on a patch of seaweed near shallow water. The bird has brown plumage, a white underbelly, bright orange legs, and an orange-tipped beak. The background features calm water with scattered vegetation.

JAN 2025 - MARTLESHAM WILDS SEES 'DIVERSITY OF SPECIES AND WINTER BIRDS

A new nature reserve on the banks of the river Deben - created to provide "a wild place of immense value to local people and wildlife" - has seen "huge wildlife successes," Suffolk Wildlife Trust has said.

Read more on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

DEC 2024 - RIVER DEBEN STUDY FINDS TRACES OF COSMETICS IN SAMPLES

Citizen scientists, including representatives from Woodbridge-based clean water campaign group Save the Deben, have been conducting tests on inland bathing waters, including Suffolk's River Deben. The study revealed high levels of organic substances, including a cocktail of pharmaceuticals.

Read more on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

A serene stream flowing under a small brick bridge surrounded by lush greenery. Sunlight filters through the trees, casting reflections on the water's surface.

OCT 2024 - SUFFOLK LANDOWNERS JOIN FORCES TO FORM RIVER ACTION GROUP

Landowners living along the banks of the River Deben are calling for more robust government action to prevent a repeat of the devastating Storm Babet floods. Worried landowners have now formed a campaign group - called the Lower Deben Riparian Owners Group (LDOG).

Read more on the East Anglian Daily Times website.

OCT 2024 - JET SKI USE ON DEBEN SPARKS CONSULTATION IN SUFFOLK

A consultation on licensing private hire personal watercraft is to take place after a new business opened up offering tours on the river Deben. A report to East Suffolk Council has raised concerns over the use of water scooters, such as Jet Skis, and the impace it might have on wildlife, pollution and other users of the river.

Read more on the BBC News website.

OCT 2024 - Lord Deben – Patron of the River Deben Association

The River Deben Association (RDA) is delighted to announce that Lord Deben is to become its patron from October 2024, supporting the association in its efforts to understand and protect the River Deben and conserve it for all users.

Read more on the River Deben Association website.

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JULY 2024 - RIVERS BECOMING 'RESERVOIRS OF DISEASE'

A recent BBC news article reveals that researchers at the University of Suffolk, along with citizen scientists from the Deben Climate Centre, have found that rivers, specifically the River Deben in Suffolk, are becoming "reservoirs of disease" due to bacteria in the water acquiring antibiotic resistance from sewage contamination.

Read more on the BBC News website.

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JUNE 2024 - WATER RESTORATION FUND BID FOR THE RIVER DEBEN

The East Suffolk Catchment Partnership has submitted an application to the Water Restoration Fund to help finance Recovering the Deben from Source to Sea. The funding will help deliver the next stage of the programme, which is aimed at benefitting the range of red list wildlife species that the river and estuary support.

Read more on our blog.

MAY 2024 - SECRETARY OF STATE APPROVES DEBEN ESTUARY COASTAL PATH

One year after the approval of initial sections of the coastal walking path along the Deben Estuary, the entire length, from Felixstowe Ferry, through Woodbridge and down the opposite, eastern bank has now been approved. It will take some time for the rights to come into effect, but will allow walkers to enjoy the whole estuary.

Read more on the about this through the Deben Estuary Partnership website.

MAY 2024 - RIVER DEBEN ACTION PLAN LAUNCHED

Today marks a pivotal moment for environmental conservation as the East Suffolk Catchment Partnership unveils its action plan to recover the river Deben, all the way from “Source to Sea”. Read more on our blog ro find out what representatives from some of the organisations involved have to say about the initiative, or go directly to the Action Plan to read it for yourself.

APR 2024 - NEW QUESTIONNAIRE AVAILABLE - HAVE YOUR SAY

The Recovering the Deben from Source to Sea project is open to everyone! You can have your say and help us shape the future for our natural environment on the Deben by taking a few minutes to answer our questions.

Click here to open the questionnaire form.

APR 2024 - ORGANISATIONS COME TOGETHER TO RECOVER THE RIVER DEBEN

On the 18th of April, in the historic town of Debenham, close to the river's source, representatives from organisations across the Deben met to agree a shared ambition to Recover the Deben. As part of the day, we visited some of the work already happening on the land and water which flows into the Deben river and estuary.

NEWS AND UPDATES FROM THE DEBEN CATCHMENT

JULY 2026 - DCC SHARE JULY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS​​​​​

JUNE 2026 - DEBENHAM RIVER FESTIVAL RECAP​​​​​

JUNE 2026 - DCC SHARE JUNE ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS​​​​​​

MAY 2026 - FOUR RIVERS PROJECT SHARES WORKSHOP REPORTS​​​​​

APR 2026 - DEBEN ESTUARY 2025 FISH SURVEYS REPORT PUBLISHED​​​​​​

APR 2026 - DCC SHARE APRIL ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS​​​

APR 2026 - BREACH AT THE UFFORD HOLE CREATES RIVER FLOW CRISIS​​​

MAR 2026 - THE UPPER DEBEN - UNDERSTANDING THE RIVER UPSTREAM​​​​​

MAR 2026 - EROSION ON THE DEBEN: BAWDSEY, WALDRINGFIELD, UFFORD​​​​​

MAR 2026 - DCC SHARE MARCH ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS​​​

FEB 2026 - EA FUNDED TREE PLANTING AT BRIDGE AND IVY FARMS​​​

APR 2024 - NEW QUESTIONNAIRE AVAILABLE - HAVE YOUR SAY

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JULY 2026 - DCC SHARE JULY ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

JUNE 2026 - DEBENHAM RIVER FESTIVAL RECAP

JUNE 2026 - DCC SHARE JUNE ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

MAY 2026 - FOUR RIVERS PROJECT SHARES WORKSHOP REPORTS

APR 2026 - DEBEN ESTUARY 2025 FISH SURVEYS REPORT PUBLISHED

APR 2026 - DCC SHARE APRIL ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

APR 2026 - BREACH AT THE UFFORD HOLE CREATES RIVER FLOW CRISIS

MAR 2026 - THE UPPER DEBEN - UNDERSTANDING THE RIVER UPSTREAM

MAR 2026 - EROSION ON THE DEBEN: BAWDSEY, WALDRINGFIELD, UFFORD

MAR 2026 - DCC SHARE MARCH ENVIRONMENT MONITORING RESULTS

FEB 2026 - EA FUNDED TREE PLANTING AT BRIDGE AND IVY FARMS