MADERA IRRIGATION DISTRICT GROUNDWATER SUSTAINABILITY AGENCY

Welcome! Below is information related to the MID GSA. Again, we appreciate that you have subscribed to the MID GSA email distribution list and are becoming better informed on groundwater topics in the Madera area. This set of articles is meant to update you of the progress and direction of the MID GSA specifically. If you would like more information on the Madera Subbasin in general, please visit www.maderacountywater.com.   (Reminder, refer to the definitions at the bottom of this email for commonly used acronyms and terms related to groundwater management).

2021 MID GSA - YEAR IN REVIEW

In January 2020, the MID GSA submitted the Joint Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Since that time, MID and the MID GSA have been actively working on implementation. The implementation period spans from 2020 through 2040, at which time the Madera Subbasin must be deemed sustainable.

What has the MID GSA been up to since the GSP was submitted in January 2020 and the implementation period began?

In short—a tremendous amount! Since implementation began in January 2020, MID has acquired three additional parcels for recharge purposes, totaling about 73 acres. Demand reduction has also occurred on these parcels for additional benefits to the District. These acquisitions were 9 YEARS AHEAD of schedule from the planned date of 2030 in the GSP. MID is currently working on the expansion of the District’s existing basins to allow greater capacity for recharge. MID also annexed over 400 acres of additional grazing land to the District to assist with MID’s water balance. MID has done outreach activities and created platforms for landowner education, including the District’s WaterUI software platform. WaterUI allows MID growers to access their personal water usage information and history to better understand their surface water use. Another flagship project, which was completed by MID in partnership with the City of Madera, is the Golf Course Basin project. This project installed a connection between MID’s system and a water feature at the Madera Municipal Golf Course, creating both recharge and recreational opportunities. The projects listed above are all in addition to the projects and programs developed prior to 2020 in preparation for SGMA. These prior efforts include property acquisition for a recharge facility, rehabilitation and utilization of six (6) recharge basins located throughout the District, installing of over 12,000 feet of pipeline, completing system automation of over 50 sites, annexing the Madera Ranch (over 10,000 acres of grazing land), establishing an On-Farm Recharge Program, and acquiring and importing additional surface water supplies in this timeframe.

MID GSA Projects Completed to Date click on the graphic to view complete map

On June 8, 2021, the Madera County GSA adopted Resolution 2021-69 with a subsequent adoption of Resolution 2021-113 related to groundwater allocations for the Madera County GSA. For more information on this program, please visit the Madera County website or contact Stephanie Anagnoson at (559) 598-0362.

This is a Madera County GSA program and not a MID GSA program.

I’ve heard about groundwater allocations in Madera, does this affect me in the MID GSA?

No, it will not affect you if you are in the MID GSA. In June 2021, Madera County adopted “allocations” for the Madera County GSA, also known as “white areas”. Madera County manages those areas.    MID manages the area within the MID GSA and does not plan to implement “allocations”.

I’ve also heard about additional fees from Madera County and a Proposition 218, will this affect me if I am in the MID GSA?

Again, no, not if you are within the MID GSA. As a landowner within the MID GSA, your land has likely been a part of MID for over 101 years. During that time you have invested in MID, paying assessments and other charges, to secure surface water rights and create a sustainable condition within the District. Thus, you have already invested in your water security.    At this time, MID is not planning any additional charges. In fact, in 2026, MID is projecting your assessments will DECREASE, due to diligent fiscal management at MID and the early refunding of the District’s 2015 Water Bonds, which are directly tied to your 9(d) assessments.

Click here to determine which GSA your land is in and which agency is managing your groundwater. Again, the information in this set of articles relate to land within the MID GSA.

LEARNING THE LINGO Definitions: Aquifer - a body of permeable rock that can contain or transmit groundwater District - Madera Irrigation District or MID Overdraft - the condition of a groundwater basin in which the amount of water withdrawn by pumping exceeds the amount of water that recharges the basin Sustainably - in a way that can be maintained at a certain rate or level Key Acronyms in Groundwater Management SGMA - Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 DWR - California Department of Water Resources, the state agency tasked with assisting in implementing SGMA SWRCB - California’s State Water Resources Control Board, the state agency tasked with intervention and enforcement GSA - Groundwater Sustainability Agency GSP - Groundwater Sustainability Plan MID GSA - Madera Irrigation District Groundwater Sustainability Agency

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