Introduction to the catchment

The Don catchment is a river catchment in the north of England. It is, of course, drained by the river Don, which itself has several large tributaries. The Don rises in the uplands in the west of the catchment, flowing 70 miles through increasingly urban and lowland areas, until it’s confluence with the Humber estuary.

The main urban areas within the Don catchment

The main urban areas within the Don catchment on a map.
© Crown Copyright/database right 2011. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service. River layer kindly licensed from the Environment Agency.

The location of the Don catchment in eastern England

The location of the Don catchment in eastern England on a map.
© Crown Copyright/database right 2011. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service. River layer kindly licensed from the Environment Agency.

Close-up of Sheffield, including Sheffield's five rivers

Sheffield is the largest conurbation within the catchment, with a population of around 555 000 people.

Sheffield is famously built around five rivers: the Don and its four main tributaries in this part of the catchment. These are the rivers Loxley, Rivelin, Sheaf and Porter.

Close-up of Sheffield, including Sheffield's five rivers on a map.
© Crown Copyright/database right 2011. An Ordnance Survey/EDINA supplied service. River layer kindly licensed from the Environment Agency.

A global reputation

Sheffield is a research university with a global reputation for excellence. We're a member of the Russell Group: one of the 24 leading UK universities for research and teaching.