By Joel Hastings
Beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Madera County board of supervisors met as the board of directors of the county GSA. They adopted the allocation schedule for three subbasins – Madera, Chowchilla and Delta-Mendota – showing how overdraft will be zeroed out by 2040. The meeting was gaveled to order by Chair Leticia Gonzalez who called on Stephanie Anagnoson, director of the Department of Water & Natural Resources. She made a brief PowerPoint presentation. Along with Gonzalez, present as directors were Supervisors Robert Macaulay and Jordan Wamhoff. Absent were Rob Poythress and David Rogers.
Allocations
Anagnoson explained that the GSP for the subbasin approved by Madera and by the other six GSAs and importantly, by DWR, included these allocations which call for a reduction in transitional water use from groundwater pumping each year by six percent from 2026 to 2040. There are 185,000 acres in the Madera Subbasin, with 88,154 irrigated. Sustainable yield and transition water combined result in 27.1 inches of ETW allowed in 2025. Next year that total will be 25.2 inches, with a six percent reduction through 2040 when only sustainable yield water of 12.3 inches will be available, or a total of 90,000 acre/feet.
The Chowchilla Subbasin contains 45,000 acres with 38,000 irrigated. From 2025 through 2040, sustainable yield water amounts to 7.1 inches. In 2025, 18 inches of transitional water is allowed dropping by six percent through 2040 when only sustainable yield is available.
The Delta-Mendota GSA includes only 3,300 acres with only 2,100 irrigated in 2025 but with a correction for river bank vegetation, the count is 1,174 acres through 2040. The sustainable yield amount is 15.3 inches from 2026 through 2040 and total ETW drops from 18.9 in 2025 to the SY in 2040, likewise a six percent per year reduction.
(Note: the tables for each subbasin are available through the county website in the W&NR Department section.)
This schedule of reduced water use does not require any projects for recharge or additional storage. The GSA Committee which had met the week before on September 2 approved the tables but had asked that these figures be reviewed annually to verify their continuing validity based on conditions, which could be done during the preparation of the GSAs’
annual report. Several speakers there had asked that the rate of reduction be slowed, with increased reduction in future years, but no one spoke to that point at this September 9 meeting.
Director Wamhoff referenced the amount of transitional water available, going back to 2020, the first year of allocations. Some earlier calculations and board resolutions had a figure of 91,000 acre/feet used in 2020, but the amount finally settled on and used in these tables was 113,00 acre/feet in 2020, with reductions of two percent per year for the first five years to 2025, with six percent kicking in from 2026 to 2040.
Public comment was invited and a representative from Delta-Mendota, Joe Hopkins, said his GSA supports the schedule shown and supports passage of the resolution. Likewise, Sarah Woolf, speaking for the Triangle-T GSA encouraged the adoption of the resolution.
With no further discussion, the board voted 3 – 0 in favor and the motion was declared passed. Since this was the only item of business, the board adjourned at 1:46 p.m.
GSA Committee Meeting – September 2
In addition to the points above regarding the schedule of allocations, items discussed at the committee meeting included a review of the grower survey work asking for the preferred satellite measurement company. Hydrosat (formerly Irriwatch) was chosen by 52 percent, Land IQ by 23 percent and 21 percent still prefer meters. Sixty percent said they would prefer the county only contract with one firm in order to cut down on GSA expense. Results were more evenly split among the accounting platforms so the top three will be more fully evaluated.
With public comment invited, Noah Lopez for MAWA (Madera Ag Water Association) said his group has greater trust in Land IQ because it is widely used in the Valley and because Hydrosat had made two year-end adjustments in their calculations. He asked what the current split is by growers now using the two companies.
Larkin Harmon, local grower, said she would like to have an ad hoc committee try out the accounting platforms in real time, which would provide a more complete opportunity to check out the systems.
Anagnoson said the costs of using two satellite measure firms can be clearly identified but that she would recommend negotiations begin with Hydrosat. Supervisor and committee member Robert Macaulay asked about Hydrostat’s year-end adjustments. Anagnoson replied that both years, adjustments were made to the benefit of growers, and the Land IQ makes adjustments on an ongoing basis in ways that are “behind the scenes.” No motion was forthcoming on the recommendation to select a satellite provider and there will be more discussion at the October meeting.
Also discussed but with a decision carried over until the October meeting was the county’s policy on assigning penalties for exceeding the allocation and applying credits for water savings. Individual APNs are identified even as the farm unit is the basic framework for these calculations. Once a year, farm units can be adjusted by land owners and leaseholders. While offering growers wide latitude for land transactions, the county will provide a template to help landowners, leaseholders and their advisers understand the issues around allocations.
Supervisor and GSA board member Leticia Gonzalez chairs the committee. The next meeting is scheduled for October 6, the first Tuesday. Participation is available to the public in person and via Zoom. Agendas and documents along with video recordings afterwards are posted in the Department’s web pages on the county website… http://www.maderacounty.com
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Madera County is comprised of three subbasins, designated by the CA Department of Water Resources as critically overdrafted, and “high priority”: (1) the Chowchilla Subbasin; (2) the Madera Subbasin; and (3) a portion of the Delta-Mendota Subbasin. Each of these subbasins submitted a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) by January 31, 2020. These subbasins are required to achieve “sustainability” by the year 2040. The method by which sustainability will be achieved will be illustrated in the GSP, which was be drafted in partnership by the irrigation district, water districts, cities and Madera County. The Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is administered by the Madera County Department of Water and Natural Resources: Stephanie Anagnoson, Director, 200 W. Fourth Street, Madera, CA 93637, (559) 675-7703 x. 2265 or (559) 675-6573. The County of Madera Board of Supervisors is the Board of Directors of the GSA for the three subbasins. The current board is composed of five members: Leticia Gonzalez, Robert Macaulay, Robert Poythress, David Rogers and Jordon Wamhoff..
The Madera Subbasin’s DWR # is 5-022.06
