The Trust has its origins immersed in a major catastrophe that was to befall the Six Mile Water in June 2008. One of the worst pollution incidents ever to occur on a river in Northern Ireland resulted in more than 35,000 fish being killed and wildlife destroyed.  

Immediately after this incident a large number of members of the public, concerned about the state of the river, decided on a course of action that they hoped would stop this type of situation ever occurring again; hence the birth of the Six Mile Water Trust.