Castilla-La Mancha water groups contest 2028‑2033 hydro plan

The Federation of Irrigators of the Upper Guadiana (FERGUALT) submitted formal objections to the provisional scheme of the fourth hydrological planning cycle (2028‑2033) prepared by the Guadiana River Basin Confederation. The federation argues the draft is overly restrictive, threatens the extinction of water‑use rights, removes established procedural guarantees, reduces the irrigated area of roughly 300,000 hectares and cuts concession volumes, and could cause severe socio‑economic impacts across Castilla‑La Mancha. It also highlighted administrative delays in processing groundwater user files and asked for faster handling and provisional usage rights during the review period.

The Castilla‑La Mancha regional government lodged about one hundred contributions covering the seven river basins within its territory, compiled from 71 participants and roughly 200 proposals. The majority focus on the Upper Guadiana, calling for an extension of the Special Upper Guadiana Plan, maintenance of existing concessions, and promotion of artificial aquifer recharge, regenerated‑water use and new infrastructure. Additional suggestions address the Tajo‑Segura transfer, water‑quality improvements, ecological flow safeguards, and a shift toward prioritising larger urban pollution sources over smaller municipalities.