A $1 million funding pool is available to MAGSA landowners every year for the next 4 years through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) WaterSMART Initiative.

MAGSA was selected as a priority area to receive the targeted funding pool to help eligible farmers and ranchers make improvements for collective water conservation and drought resilience.

Through the initiative, NRCS provides eligible EQIP applicants with the additional resources and tools needed to manage soil moisture, improve irrigation water use efficiency in crop and pasture lands, and protect irrigation water sources from depletion. This may include water delivery automation and monitoring, irrigation water management and conveyance, sprinkler irrigation systems, and more. 

MAGSA’s Implementing Rules & Regulations for Groundwater Well Metering, Measurement, Monitoring, and Construction Policy outlines requirements for well meters and telemetry by January 31, 2025. To assist in meeting the well metering and telemetry requirements, MAGSA strongly encourages applicants to use this opportunity to fund their well flow meters and telemetry!

MAGSA landowners who hope to take advantage of grant funds can apply using the normal EQIP application process but will benefit from competing with significantly fewer applicants for grant dollars. Any MAGSA applications will be sorted automatically by NRCS to compete for the MAGSA-only funding pool.

Growers who are interested must still meet the NRCS EQIP funding eligibility requirements. To be eligible, an applicant must own or lease and manage their land and have an average gross income of $900,000 or less.

MAGSA is planning a series of outreach workshops and events to assist eligible growers with the application process. The first is a webinar to provide an overview of the process. In October, MAGSA will host application workshops and drop-off events in Kerman to make the process as seamless as possible.

MAGSA is assisting our growers with the application process!

Join us for an upcoming webinar on the NRCS EQIP Application Process. This webinar is for MAGSA landowners and operators who are interested in applying for grant funding. Attendees can expect to leave this event with:

1. A clear understanding of the EQIP application process, including how to enroll in the Farm Service Agency (a critical first step!).
2. Connections to local NRCS field office staff.
3. Confidence to complete the application process.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022
12:00 – 1:00 PM Via Zoom Webinar
REGISTER HERE!

Amendments to the Groundwater Well Metering, Measurement, Monitoring and Construction Policy and Related Policies were adopted by the MAGSA Board at their July 6th meeting.

The amendments introduced a temporary moratorium effective July 7, 2022 on well construction below the Corcoran clay tapping the confined aquifer. The policy states the purpose for the moratorium is “to provide an opportunity to better the number of wells currently constructed to extend below the Corcoran Clay and to gather sufficient additional data to be used to assess the effect of those [wells]…”.

Because wells drilled below the Corcoran Clay are generally understood to be directly associated with chronic subsidence in the Central Valley, MAGSA plans to gather data on existing wells to better quantify and analyze their impact on subsidence.

Also included in the amendments is a strong recommendation that no new domestic wells be constructed less than 300 feet deep. The recommended depth is below the minimum threshold for wells outlined in MAGSA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan. The minimum threshold is the lowest allowable groundwater depth before MAGSA reaches an undesirable result. Under SGMA, MAGSA must work to maintain groundwater levels above these minimums. 

Are you a domestic well owner? Find important resources on MAGSA’s website here.

Don Cameron was unanimously re-elected to serve as Chair of the MAGSA Board for a one-year term. “It’s really an honor to serve as Chair of this Board,” stated Cameron. “It’s a different agency from where we first started; we’ve come a long way.” Cameron represents Raisin City Water District, a member of MAGSA’s Joint Powers Authority.

Matt Abercrombie was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the Board. Abercrombie has served in the role in the past, but this last year’s term the role had remained vacant. Abercrombie is appointed by Fresno County as a landowner representative on the Board.

The McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture Expansion Project has nearly completed its first major step of environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An extensive study undertaken as part of CEQA environmental review found nothing rose to the level of significance that could not be mitigated.

The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration incudes mitigating measures, environmental factors potentially affected, evaluation of environmental impacts, and a public involvement summary. A Mitigation, Monitoring, and Reporting Program document was also developed as part of the analysis.

A Notice of Determination signaling completion of the CEQA documentation was signed and filed to Fresno County and to the State Clearinghouse on July 8, 2022 pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Notice of Determination will be posted for a 30-day period; if there are no challenges, the CEQA environmental review will be considered complete.

Completing the CEQA environmental review is a major milestone for the Expansion Project. The Project will move forward with a second environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), with documents anticipated to be available for public review and comment later this year.