Board Meeting December 6, 2023
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for December 6, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. at the Kerman Community Center.
Author: Ashley Goldsmith
MAGSA Continues Water Marketing Discussions
The McMullin Area Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MAGSA) is reengaging consultants to determine what rules might be required to move forward with a water marketing strategy in MAGSA. This process will include landowner input on the proposed program.
As part of the region’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP), MAGSA identified development of a groundwater marketing strategy as an important tactic to help MAGSA landowners comply with potential future pumping limits and provide additional operational flexibility for agricultural lands.
In 2020 and 2021, MAGSA worked with a technical consultant to generate a Water Marketing Report. This report includes several sections describing background conditions and issues related to a groundwater market, followed by a “roadmap” for continued development and implementation of a groundwater market in MAGSA. This report along with recordings of past water marketing workshops can be viewed on the webpage below.
Policy and Rules & Regulations Documents on Telemetry and Well Monitoring Available for Public Comment
The draft Implementing Rules & Regulations for the Amended (2023) Groundwater Well Metering, Measurement, Monitoring And Construction Policy and Related Policies and draft Amended Landowner Incentive Program policy have been posted to MAGSA’s policy webpage and are available for public comment.
These proposed amendments are related to remote telemetry and data management requirements and accompanying incentives for MAGSA landowners. Public comments on the draft documents must be submitted no later than December 1, 5:00 PST to allow time for consideration. MAGSA landowners and stakeholders can review and comment on both documents by visiting the webpage below.
Data collection, reporting and management are indispensable elements of the MAGSA Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The data will need to be collected, stored and managed in a precise, accurate, secure and confidential manner to successfully place MAGSA in a position of achieving sustainability at the earliest possible time while maintaining the highest levels of confidentiality for landowners’ Confidential Information as allowed by law.Â
Installing telemetry will save growers time and money, and following MAGSA’s well monitoring process is the “cheapest and most streamlined way to do it,” says MAGSA Board Member, Jonathon Degroot.
MAGSA Meter Rebate Program Will Launch as Soon as Contract is Signed with Bureau of Reclamation
On April 21, 2023, MAGSA was awarded a $2.8 million grant through the Bureau of Reclamation’s (BOR) WaterSMART Program to help fund the purchase and installation of electromagnetic flow meters with telemetry for 925 groundwater wells, along with six weather stations in the region. This grant has led to the creation of MAGSA’s Meter and Telemetry Rebate Program.
MAGSA’s Implementing Rules and Regulations require meters to be outfitted by January 31, 2025 on all wells designed to produce more than 2 acre feet of water annually located within MAGSA’s boundaries. The Meter and Telemetry Rebate Program is designed to alleviate landowner costs associated with MAGSA’s meter requirement. The Program will cover about 40% of the costs associated with purchasing and installing meters, telemetry, and a year of monitoring services.Â
Once the grant contract is in effect, MAGSA will mail growers a detailed packet outlining the Meter and Telemetry Rebate Program application process. If you do not currently receive mail from MAGSA, contact us at (559) 515-3339 to ensure you’re added to our mailing list. You can also find updates about this program on the funding page below.
Board Meeting November 1, 2023
The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled for November 1, 2023 at 2:00 P.M. at the Kerman Community Center.