World Water Day 2025: What do you know about rivers in Oxfordshire?

Most people know that the River Thames flows through Oxfordshire, but did you know that there are six other main rivers in Oxfordshire? These are the River Windrush, the River Evenlode, the River Cherwell, the River Ray, the River Thame (no, not Thames!) and the River Ock.  

In fact, there are more than 100 other smaller named rivers, streams, brooks and ditches cross the county. Have you ever heard of the River Swere, the Littlestock Stream, the Ginge Brook or the Portobello Ditch for instance?  

You can find out the current river level near you using our collaborative ‘Oxford Rivers Portal’ at oxfordrivers.ceh.ac.uk/portal. The portal also shows where there are active flood alerts or flood warnings. 

Rivers are an important part of our daily lives in Oxfordshire, and thousands of people use them for exercise and enjoyment each year, be that rowing, kayaking, swimming, paddleboarding, fishing or just going for a walk or a picnic.  

Oxfordshire has two of the UK’s designated river bathing waters, at Port Meadow in Oxford and at Wallingford Bridge. These are places where lots of people swim, and so the water is tested for levels of harmful bacteria between mid-May and September each summer.  

You can use the Oxford Rivers Portal to find out the most recent bacteria level at these sites in the summer. Just click on the swimming icon and on detailed view to view the most recent test results. 

Unfortunately, raw sewage is discharged into our rivers far too frequently: there were more than 4,000 sewage spills in Oxfordshire in 2023. Raw sewage, as well as being potentially dangerous for humans encountering river water, is also bad for plants and wildlife which live in rivers.  

The Oxford Rivers Portal also shows the locations of current sewage spills (also called “storm overflows”) and whether there has been a spill in the past 48 hours. We recommend checking the Portal before you do a river-based activity, especially if it has rained recently, and not entering the river if there has been a spill in the past 48 hours 5km upriver of your planned activity.   

If you want to know more about the Oxford Rivers Portal or ways you can take action for healthier rivers in Oxfordshire, take a look at thames21.org.uk/oxford-rivers-project. 

 

This article was written by Claire Robertson, Thames21’s Oxford Rivers Project Officer.