December 4 Board Meeting Cancelled
The regular McMullin Area GSA Board Meeting scheduled on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 has been cancelled.
Author: Cristel Tufenkjian
Cancelled: September 4, 2019 Board Meeting
The McMullin Area GSA Board Meeting September 4 Board Meeting is cancelled
MAGSA First to Release Groundwater Sustainability Plan in the Kings Subbasin
At the July Board Meeting, the McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MAGSA) Board approved opening the draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) 90-day public review and comment period. First in the Kings Subbasin to release a full draft GSP, MAGSA staff and consultants are intent to allow ample time to consider comments and make any necessary revisions to the draft prior to submittal to the State by the January 31, 2020 deadline.
MAGSA’s consultant Provost & Pritchard provided the Board with an overview of the GSP, which lays out MAGSA’s historical and current groundwater conditions providing a snapshot of where MAGSA will start in 2020. MAGSA’s Board is proposing a phased approach over 20 years to mitigate the target overdraft of 91,100 acre-feet per year, which is MAGSA’s allocation of the Kings Subbasin 122,000 acre feet per year overdraft.
MAGSA’s GSP is a roadmap for how to achieve balanced levels of groundwater supply and defines a path forward for groundwater sustainability. The GSP does not propose starting off with pumping restrictions, change of cropping patterns, land use conversion, or fallowing of land. The first of the management actions is to develop water supplies. Another immediate implementation action is to fill data gaps to have a more comprehensive and accurate picture of groundwater conditions.
The MAGSA Board and staff have welcomed broad public participation in the development of the draft GSP over the last two years, holding numerous public GSP technical update meetings to provide an in-depth look at GSP progress. Technical consultants and the Board consistently present the opportunity for members of the public to provide guiding feedback on the GSP’s components during Board Meetings. MAGSA hopes to continue this trend of public participation through the official 90-day public review and comment period.
Members of the public are invited to take part in this important process by reviewing a copy of the GSP document, available for download on MAGSA’s website at mcmullinarea.org/gspcomment, and submitting comments. The review period will conclude at the MAGSA Public Hearing set to take place Wednesday, October 16th at 2:10 pm at the Kerman Community Center.
Click below to download the GSP, and to find more information regarding the Public Review period.
Ready to comment? Click below to access our online comment form:
Board Continues Current $19 Fee
At its recent July 10th Board meeting, the McMullin Area GSA Board approved the continuation of the currently assessed $19.00 per acre property-related fee for fiscal year 2019-20. Based on assessable acreage of 114,475, this generates a projected revenue of $2,175,025. This amount covers the July 1 – June 30 fiscal year budget of $1,891,600, which is the amount approved by MAGSA landowners in the fee election passed in 2018. Also included in the budget is a contingency/reserve fund in the amount of $283,700.
At the same meeting, the Board also released for immediate public review the draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the McMullin area. With this milestone release, General Manager Matt Hurley noted MAGSA will begin focusing upon transitioning from the planning phase into implementation phase of local groundwater management in early 2020. Hurley stated that by mid-year 2020, there will be a more clear understanding of the requirements and specifics related to SGMA implementation detail, thus allowing for an updated look at the budget needs for the following fiscal year. Based upon the near term expectations for costs that may arise with this new and complex regulation, the Board supported the recommendation to maintain the $19.00 rate for the upcoming fiscal year 2019-20.
Public Hearing October 16, 2019 at 2:10 pm
The Board has set a Public Hearing for October 16, 2019, at 2:10 P.M. for formal consideration for adoption of the draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The Public Hearing will take place at the Kerman Community Center, 15101 W Kearney Blvd., Kerman, CA 93630.
Board Meeting August 7, 2019 at 2:00 pm
The next scheduled McMullin Area GSA Board Meeting is Wednesday, August 7, 2019 at 2:00 pm.
The Board will meet at the Kerman Community Center, 15101 W. Kearney Blvd., Kerman, CA 93630.