Wet winter boosts 2026 irrigation prospects across England

After one of the wettest winters in decades, irrigation prospects for 2026 are shaping up far stronger than many farmers and growers feared.

The Environment Agency’s latest irrigation prospects report indicates that water availability this spring is good across most of England, with reservoirs refilled and river flows recovering well after sustained above-average rainfall.

The improved outlook will come as welcome relief to growers following last year’s rapid shift from winter recharge to spring dryness, which demonstrated how quickly conditions can tighten.

Between November 2025 and January 2026, England received 137% of its long-term average rainfall. Central England recorded 159% of the long-term average — its wettest November to January period since 1929/30 — while Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire experienced their wettest three-month stretch on record.

Groundwater levels have recovered to normal or above-normal levels for the time of year across almost all aquifers, with the exception of north-west Norfolk.

In East Anglia — covering Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire — there is currently no strong indication that conditions will differ from seasonal norms.

While prospects are presently classed as moderate in some areas, they are expected to improve to good across all regions for the 2026 season if rainfall continues through March and April.

Despite the encouraging picture, the Agency has warned that dry impacts can develop rapidly, as seen during the spring of 2025.

Responding to the report, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said the positive outlook should not mask longer-term structural concerns.

While welcoming the improved position, he said “more still needs to be done to build genuine resilience in our water resources for food production”.

“The recent weather extremes of the last few years have shown how quickly conditions can shift from severe drought to significant flooding,” Mr Bradshaw added.

He argued that farmers and growers must have guaranteed access to water during shortages.

“That’s why it’s essential for government to guarantee farmers and growers’ access to water during times of shortages."

The NFU is pressing for planning reform and tax incentives to unlock investment in on-farm reservoirs and storage infrastructure, arguing that long-term water security is now central to domestic food production.

The EA classifies irrigation prospects as ‘good’, ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’.

‘Good’ indicates average or above-average water levels with supplies expected to remain secure, although minor local controls on surface water abstraction remain possible in exceptionally hot and dry conditions.

‘Moderate’ suggests lower levels, meaning some restrictions on surface water abstraction could be introduced by midsummer if temperatures rise sharply. ‘Poor’ reflects well below-average levels and a high likelihood of significant abstraction restrictions.

Alongside the outlook, the Agency has reminded abstractors of support options, including regulatory flexibility during prolonged dry weather, water rights trading and signing up to online services for abstraction alerts.

For longer-term resilience, it recommends reviewing plans for additional storage such as reservoirs, exploring local resource option studies with neighbouring growers and establishing or joining Water Abstractor Groups to plan collectively for future demand.