Right to Roam运动发布的数据显示，英格兰71%的河岸沿线缺乏100米范围内的通道或权利通道 [1]。更广泛的调查揭示，英格兰和威尔士96%的河流没有定义的法定水权 [1]，这导致游泳、划桨等常见活动经常遭到土地所有者的争议。
地区间差异明显。Severn Middle Shropshire流域的河岸90%无公众通道权，而New Forest流域的情况相对较好，但仍有49%的河岸无通道权 [1]。
Right to Roam环境社会科学家Lewis Winks表示："河流通道权应是基本权利，但绝大多数河流禁止通行" [1]。室外游泳协会负责人Kate Rew指出："人们很少为被排斥的地方而斗争，我们的河流现在需要人们为其辩护" [1]。
环保组织呼吁政府采取行动。Keir Starmer政府曾承诺建立9条新国家河流步行道，但以Mersey河为首的项目未能创建额外的公众通道 [1]。倡导者敦促政府启动已久的通道权咨询，并在国王演讲中引入负责任的水陆通道权相关议题 [1]。
Nearly three-quarters of England's riverbanks are inaccessible to the public, according to figures released by the Right to Roam campaign [1]. The data indicates that 71% of riverbank stretches lack any right of way or access point within 100 meters [1].
The research also found that 96% of rivers across England and Wales have no defined statutory water rights, leaving activities such as swimming and paddling frequently contested by landowners [1]. Access varies significantly by region, with the Severn Middle Shropshire catchment showing 90% of riverbanks without public access, while the New Forest area has 49% without access [1].
Environmental advocates are calling for urgent action. Lewis Winks, environmental social scientist at Right to Roam, stated that "river access should be a fundamental right, but the vast majority of rivers are prohibited" [1]. Kate Rew of the Outdoor Swimming Association emphasized that "people rarely campaign for places they're excluded from, and our rivers now need people to advocate for them" [1].
The government has committed to establishing nine new national river trails, though the first trail along the Mersey River has not created additional access [1]. Environmental groups are urging the authorities to launch a long-promised consultation on responsible water and riverside access rights and introduce legislation through the King's Speech [1].