Water Summary Update: Iowa’s Water Year ends with statewide surplus for the third consecutive year
DES MOINES – For the third consecutive year, Iowa’s Water Year ended with a statewide precipitation surplus, according to the latest Water Summary Update.
The 2026 Iowa Water Year, which covers October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, concluded with a statewide precipitation surplus of 2.82 inches. This surplus was significantly enhanced by the fourth-wettest September on record, which delivered an average of 7.83 inches of rainfall across the state, nearly 4.35 inches above the normal amount. Statewide temperatures for September averaged 68.3 degrees, or 4.6 degrees above normal, making it the ninth-warmest September on record.
During the full 12-month water year, precipitation reached 38.37 inches, making it the 20th-wettest year on record. Additionally, the annual average temperature was 51.3 degrees, which is 3.1 degrees above normal, marking it as the fifth-warmest water year recorded.
According to Iowa’s Drought Plan, conditions improved across all five drought regions, and all regions currently maintain a normal drought designation. According to the current U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), drought conditions reached their lowest levels since last October, with recent moisture eliminating severe drought and removing moderate drought across most of the state, leaving just over one percent of Iowa classified as abnormally dry.
The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s seasonal drought outlook forecasts that remaining drought conditions in western Iowa are likely to be removed by the end of December, projecting that the entire state will remain drought-free.
“The 2026 water year ended on a very positive note, with a wet September helping us achieve our third straight year of statewide precipitation surpluses. All five of our state drought regions have returned to normal designations, and seasonal outlooks suggest Iowa will remain drought-free through the end of the calendar year,” said Jessica Reese McIntyre, DNR Environmental Specialist.
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit
www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.
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