Waterfall in forest, RSPB Lake Vyrnwy reserve

The largest river action campaign ever seen in the UK has been launched. The Our Rivers campaign is an initiative by WWF, RSPB, Angling Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts and is calling on the Government to be more ambitious if it is to deliver the positive change needed to protect Britain's rivers.

The campaign's website features an interactive map of the UK's rivers allowing users to highlight the issues facing their local waterway.

TV conservationist and RSPB vice president Chris Packham is one of those supporting the campaign. He says: "Our rivers are under pressure from so many sources, yet their health is vitally important to us all. Clean, healthy rivers, teeming with life are what we all want to see and what the Our Rivers campaign is all about.

"New water legislation is providing us with a unique opportunity to speak up for the rivers we love, you don't have to be an expert, you just need to know your river. Standing up for your river is easy to do, just go to the Our Rivers website."

The Environment Agency (EA) will decide the fate of every river in the country through one of eleven regional management plans which are currently in public consultation, ending on 22 June. Final plans will be signed off by the secretary of state at the end of the year.

The consultation taking place across the country has been criticised for failing to engage many of those who hold vital information about our rivers: anglers who have fished the same stretch for years, community groups who look after their local river and those who rely on the river for their business.

The launch of Our Rivers aims to address this concern by providing a far more straightforward way for people to pass on their unique local knowledge to the EA. The content of the management plans must be informed by those who know and care about their rivers; those who live and work on them.

Tom le Quesne, freshwater policy officer at WWF says: "This consultation is an important step in a process that must deliver a positive improvement to the state of the country's rivers but the EA have so far failed to effectively involve river users and campaigners in their proposals.

"Our Rivers provides the opportunity for people across the country to take an active role in the consultation and tell Government what needs to be done to protect our rivers for years to come."

The website is a key component of the campaign, enabling people to submit their views, to campaign at local level, win support from their MP and take action to increase the profile of Our Rivers. Information gathered through the website will be presented to the EA and Ministers as a formal request for action - to which they now have a legal obligation to respond.

"Anglers are the curtain twitchers of the river bank and are the first to notice when the insect life changes, the water colour changes or the flow is altered," says Mark Lloyd of the Angling Trust. "The Angling Trust will be urging all its members to get involved in the Our Rivers campaign, to ensure that rivers get better protection and action now to restore them to their former glory, for the benefit of all wildlife."

RSPB director of conservation Mark Avery says: "The results of a healthy river are clear to see - the darting blue of a kingfisher, the ripple of a fish jumping for flies and carpets of wild flowers covering a floodplain all provide a real sense of wildness that people enjoy. But for many rivers once common wildlife is missing or under threat.

"What is so exciting about this campaign is that it will be using local knowledge from people who care passionately about the rivers on their doorstep. This campaign will help people give Our Rivers a voice as the Environment Agency and Government set about planning for improvements to 2015 and beyond."