Aquaterra Water Bank Cultural Resources Survey Underway

The Aquaterra Water Bank is currently undergoing a cultural resources survey before its next stage of development.

Aquaterra is a vast expansion of canals, basins, and agricultural land to use as on-farm recharge sites. The project is crucial for storing water for recharge in MAGSA’s groundwater-only community.

The Bureau of Reclamation requested that MAGSA have 4,000 acres of the project surveyed for cultural resources to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. The survey area is roughly 70 miles long and 200 feet wide. A team of archeologists from Tetra Tech, MAGSA’s environmental consultant, is on target to complete the survey in time for public review documents to be made available this spring.

Once fully developed, Aquaterra will have the capacity to store 1.8 million acre-feet of water within McMullin Area boundaries. It will also add a 208,000-acre-foot recharge capacity, and 770 cubic feet per second of new conveyance. When storms come, Aquaterra will help recharge the aquifer, providing immense value to our region and landowners.

Learn more about the Aquaterra Water Bank HERE.