The election to fund the construction of the McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture Expansion Project successfully passed with over 80% of the ballots received voting in favor of the $32.85 per-acre assessment. The ballots were counted after the closing of the public hearing on June 3.

The McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture Expansion Project, a large-scale on-farm recharge project designed to capture excess Kings River floodwaters during wet years and recharge the aquifer.

By increasing groundwater recharge and bringing additional water into the basin, the project helps protect the long-term reliability of groundwater supplies, maintain productive farmland, and support stable land values. Most importantly, it allows MAGSA landowners to continue managing groundwater locally rather than risking State intervention, which would mean costly fees and stricter pumping restrictions without providing new water supplies.

It All Began in 2014: Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) became law in 2014, requiring local agencies to develop and implement a plan to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. Groundwater sustainability means users are not pumping water from the groundwater supply faster than it can be replenished. MAGSA was formed by local landowners to locally comply with SGMA. SGMA is an unfunded mandate, which is why MAGSA has sought funding through grants and landowner assessments.

Terranova Recharge Project Helped Us Meet 2025 SGMA Milestone

The good news is that MAGSA met the first required target of a 10% annual reduction of groundwater overdraft by 2025.

One of the reasons for achieving this target without requiring pumping restrictions was the replenishment of the groundwater supply by the Terranova Project.  The Terranova Project consists of 5,000 acres of farmland which recharged over 18,000 acre-feet of excess floodwater during the 2023 wet year.

Building the McMullin Flood Capture Expansion Project

The McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture Expansion Project is one of those actions and a key water supply project in MAGSA’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan. As an area that only has groundwater as its source of water supply, it is critical to have the ability to bring in water from outside of MAGSA’s area during wet years to recharge our groundwater supply, like the Terranova Project.

If this water supply project is not built, the alternative is to use a more drastic solution, which is to limit the amount of groundwater each landowner can pump to irrigate their crops.

How the Project Fits with MAGSA’s Long-Term Vision

As the saying goes, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” SGMA has changed the future for MAGSA landowners, but it has not defined it. MAGSA and landowners are collectively creating the future with the vision of viable farming operations and strong communities. The graphic below provides an overview of the key elements of this vision.

The McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture Expansion Project and Aquaterra Water Bank are the external water supply elements, bringing water into MAGSA. Irrigation Efficiency and Groundwater Marketing are the internal water supply projects that empower landowners to be managers of their groundwater supply. Meters & Telemetry underpin the entire vision.  Meters provide us with firm data to know exactly what is being pumped. MAGSA can’t afford to risk its future with estimates or educated guesses.

Through the solid leadership of MAGSA’s Board and most importantly through the on-the-ground efforts and resolve by landowners, MAGSA is on target to achieve groundwater sustainability.