New drought plans 2026: what changes for irrigators and industries in 11 river basins

Key data

Irrigators, industries and urban water supply managers across almost the entire peninsular territory have new rules of the game from June 15, 2026. The Order TED/601/2026 approves the revision of the Special Drought Plans (PES) of Spain's main river basins, rendering ineffective the plans that had been in force since 2018.

These plans are not theoretical documents: they are the instruments that determine, in a preventive manner, what restrictions apply and in what order when water becomes scarce. Understanding their updated content is essential for any company or agricultural operation that depends on water concessions in state-competence river basins.

What does this regulation establish?

Order TED/601/2026 approves the revision of the Special Drought Plans for the following hydrographic demarcations:

The revision process has included prior public consultations, ordinary strategic environmental assessment for 10 of the 12 demarcations, and the favorable report from the National Water Council, issued in December 2025. The demarcations of Ceuta and Melilla were exempt from such assessment as no significant environmental impacts are foreseen.

The plans are public and accessible on the websites of each river basin organization. Their function is to establish, in a preventive manner, the alert thresholds and restriction measures that will be activated in each phase of water scarcity.

Economic and operational impact

The change of plans does not imply immediate restrictions, but it does modify the conditions under which they will be activated in the future. Companies and operations that operate under water concessions in these basins must understand that:

• The priority rules and order of restrictions may have changed compared to the 2018 plans. What was previously an alert threshold may now be an emergency threshold, or vice versa.
• Industries with intensive water consumption (agri-food, chemical, paper, energy) are the most exposed to changes in operational restriction levels.
• Irrigators and irrigation communities must review where their concessions stand in the new order of precedence in situations of scarcity.
• Urban water supplies have preferential protection by law, but the plans specify how this priority is managed in each basin.
• Planning of agricultural campaigns (plantings, irrigated crops) must incorporate the new restriction scenarios as a risk variable.

The fact that the previous plans dated from 2018 means that the revision incorporates the experience of recent drought episodes, which may translate into more stringent thresholds or earlier restriction measures.

Who does it affect?

• Irrigation communities in the Guadalquivir, Segura, Júcar, Tajo, Guadiana, Ebro, Duero, Miño-Sil, Western Cantabrian and Eastern Cantabrian basins.
• Farmers and irrigated agricultural operations with surface or groundwater concessions in state-competence river basins.
• Industries with significant water consumption: agri-food, chemical, paper, energy, mining.
• Municipalities and water management associations that manage urban water supply in the affected demarcations.
• Managers of hydraulic infrastructure: reservoirs, irrigation channels, treatment plants.
• Energy sector companies with hydroelectric plants or that use water for cooling.

Practical example

An irrigation community in the Segura basin—historically one of the most stressed by water scarcity—operated until now under the Special Drought Plan approved in 2018. With the entry into force of Order TED/601/2026, that plan is replaced by the new revised version.

In practice, this means that the thresholds of drought indicators (reservoir levels, flows, rainfall indices) that activate each restriction phase—pre-alert, alert, emergency—may have been recalibrated. An irrigation community that in 2024 received 20% restrictions in the alert phase must verify whether that percentage is maintained, increased or reduced in the new plan, as this directly affects the planning of its crops and supply contracts.

The updated plan is available on the website of the Segura River Basin Confederation, where you can consult the details of indicators and measures by phase.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify the hydrographic demarcation on which your water concession depends and locate the new Special Drought Plan on the website of the corresponding river basin organization.
2. Compare the thresholds and measures of the new plan with those of the 2018 plan: detect if your activity falls into an earlier or more severe restriction phase.
3. Review the order of precedence of uses in your basin: check what position your concession holds (irrigation, industrial use, water supply) in situations of scarcity.
4. Update internal contingency plans: if your company depends on water for production, incorporate the new restriction scenarios as a risk variable in your operational and financial planning.
5. Inform irrigation communities or sector associations of the changes detected to coordinate possible objections or collective adaptations.
6. Consult with a specialist advisor in water law if your concession may be significantly affected by the new thresholds or measures.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-13006