Iowa’s Water Year, which covers Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, was the first with above-normal precipitation since 2019 and saw the end of the four-year drought in Iowa, according to the latest Water Summary Update. However, a record-breaking dry September is raising concerns for 2025. Precipitation for the last water year was 36 inches, or 0.38 inches above normal, with increased rainfall numbers beginning in October 2023 through July of this year.  Since then, precipitation has dropped to below-normal levels. September’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 0.72 inches, which is the driest September on record for the state. The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) shows nearly all of Iowa in abnormally dry conditions or drought conditions. 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.