Welcome to River of the Month! Every month, we spotlight a different river, sharing its wonders, its challenges, and the incredible people fighting to protect it. This month is…

The River Teifi

 

By Moira Williams, Save the Teifi

 

The River Teifi (Afon Teifi) meanders through the heart of mid-Wales, carving a landscape of deep valleys, ancient woodlands, and pastoral farmland before emptying into Cardigan Bay.

It has long been celebrated for its rich fishing heritage, especially salmon and sea trout, and its fast, twisting flow has led it to become a popular river for kayakers.

River Facts

 

Did you know?

The Teifi is famous for its coracle fishermen. These are people who fish using lightweight, bowl-shaped boats made of wood and waterproofed fabric. The centuries-old tradition still survives in Cilgerran and Cenarth, making it one of the only places on Earth where coracle fishing still happens regularly.

Length:

122 km

Catchment area:

1,008 km²

County:

Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire

Fish Biodiversity:

High – The Teifi supports Atlantic salmon, sea trout (“sewin”), wild brown trout, and also “vampire fish” like sea lamprey.

It’s designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in part because of species like sea lamprey and the river water-crowfoot.

Sewage Discharges in 2024:

2,232

Sewage Hours in 2024:

22,000 hours

Ecological Status:

According to the Teifi Demonstrator Project: as of 2024, 44% of its river water bodies (WFD) achieve “Good” ecological status, though some are still “Moderate” or “Poor.”

The River Guardians

 

Save the Teifi is the inspiring guardian group campaigning to restore the river. It was founded by Ffynnone Community Resilience. Their aims include: ending sewage pollution, reducing harmful chemicals (notably phosphates and nitrates), restoring native nature, designating bathing sites, controlling invasive species, and using citizen science to monitor river quality.

They also work to hold regulators (Natural Resources Wales) and water companies (Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water) accountable. Their “Rescue Plan” includes volunteer monitoring, reporting pollution, engaging communities, influencing policy, and working with farmers & water companies.

Over the last few years, the River Teifi has also become a powerful hub for community creativity, education, and partnership working. A major catalyst has been Llais yr Afon (Voice of the River) — a collaborative project between West Wales Rivers Trust, Small World Theatre, and Space to Create, which has worked with schoolchildren from St Dogmaels to Cenarth to explore the river’s history, ecology, and future through art and storytelling.

This has led to the creation of A People’s Plan for the Teifi, a community-led strategy that captures local knowledge, priorities, and aspirations for restoring the river.

Most recently, a stunning interactive Community Map, showcasing local stories, nature observations, artworks, and issues along the river — a resource already proving to be a powerful educational and campaigning tool. The map is now set to be taken to the Senedd to help influence stronger river policy for Wales.

 

Key Challenges

 

Sewage Pollution

• The Teifi is among the most sewage-polluted rivers in the UK, with over 2,200 dumps and more than 22,000 hours of discharge in 2024. 
• Many of these discharges come via combined sewer overflows (CSOs) during heavy rain, due to ageing Victorian-era sewer systems that mix sewage and rainwater.
• Under-reporting, weak monitoring, and lack of enforcement are also issues.

Nutrient / Phosphate Pollution

• Phosphates are a big problem: excess phosphate leads to eutrophication (algal blooms, low oxygen), which damages river ecology.
• More than 60% of waterbodies in the Teifi SAC are failing against stricter phosphate targets set by NRW.
• Sources include wastewater treatment works (major contributor) and agricultural runoff.

Ecological Decline

• Key species in the SAC (like salmon, sea lamprey, otter, river water-crowfoot) are not in “favourable” condition per assessments. 
• Toxic metals, invasive species, and other pollutants (e.g. certain chemicals) are further stressing the system.
• Climate change: lower flows in spring, higher water temperatures help algal blooms, and reduce oxygen.

Regulatory / Funding Gaps

• Despite clear problems, there can be slow decision-making, long planning and investment cycles for infrastructure upgrades. Save the Teifi highlights that permitting, upgrading treatment works, and enforcement are lengthy processes.
• The water company (Dŵr Cymru) has said it will invest, but many in the community feel the pace/scale needs to be much greater.

Key Solutions

 

Infrastructure Investment & Upgrades

• Upgrade sewer systems, separate foul and surface water where possible to reduce CSO discharges.
• Improve wastewater treatment works to remove more phosphates, meet stricter effluent standards. Save the Teifi are pushing for phosphate removal in permits.
• Nature-based solutions: use wetlands or buffer zones to absorb / filter runoff before it hits the river. This is a strategy in the Teifi Demonstrator Project.

Community Science & Monitoring

• Encourage citizen science via Save the Teifi’s volunteer programme: monitor water quality, report incidents, help build data.
• Adopt-a-tributary groups so that more parts of the catchment are actively monitored, not just the main stem.

Policy & Advocacy

• Use community voice: letters to Welsh Government, regulators (NRW), and water companies to demand stronger regulation and enforcement.
• Encourage planning policies that prevent developments that would increase phosphate loads in SAC catchments.

Habitat Restoration & Biodiversity Support

• Control invasive species (e.g. Himalayan balsam, knotweed) along the river to help native flora and fauna recover. Save the Teifi includes this in their aims. 
• Restore riparian vegetation, re-meander straightened sections, and re-naturalise floodplains to increase resilience, buffer pollution, and support more habitat.
• Support salmon, lamprey, and other key species via targeted conservation (e.g., improving spawning areas, ensuring flow).

Public Engagement & Awareness

• Raise awareness nationally and locally about the Teifi’s pollution crisis. Campaigns, walking/paddling events (like “source to sea”), and community outreach. (Save the Teifi do Source-to-Sea events.)
• Promote responsible land use: work with farmers to reduce agricultural runoff through better land management, riparian buffer planting, and sustainable farming practices.

A final message from Save the Teifi

“The Teifi runs through our land, shadows us a we move about our daily lives, so often unnoticed, flowing tirelessly on the journey from source to sea. It’s long overdue that we all awake to the needs of the river, that we fight for the life and biodiversity that we see crashing, keep the pressure on Dŵr Cymru and the farming community to reduce pollution and the policymakers and regulators to tighten and uphold the regulations. Our river has a right to flow clean and unimpeded, a thriving waterbody for all and not merely a resource to be abused. 

I’ve become very aware over the last year that although we all came to this cause from a sense of shock, anger and outrage at the threats to the Teifi, it all stems from the love we have for the river. To hold onto that feeling is essential, through all the pollution events, meetings, bureaucracy – to remember how beautiful the river is and how blessed we are.”

Take Action

1. Join Save the Teifi.
2. Reporting – Visit the Teifi (See Gallery for films/videos of its entirety), learn its History, share photos. If you notice a problem…   Report them to NRW and Welsh Water.
3. Enform the Welsh Government – Write to the Welsh government and Senedd members and tell them to safeguard the Teifi. You can find a template here.

If you would like to support those working to protect the River Teifi you can find out more here: