Madera County presents six projects for multi‑benefit land repurposing grant; contracts expected this fall

Madera County officials on July 8 updated the Board of Supervisors on a Department of Conservation grant program that funds demonstration projects to help transition irrigated agricultural lands to lower‑water uses or recharge and habitat sites.

Stephanie Nagneson, director of the county Department of Water and Natural Resources, told the board the “multi‑benefit land repurposing” grant is a pass‑through award to Madera County. She said 72 pre‑applications were received, 28 full applications followed and six projects were selected; three additional projects were named as backups.

Nagneson said the grant program seeks demonstration projects to support groundwater sustainability, provide local community benefits and create economic options for willing growers. Total grant funding available to the county is up to $6,000,000 with a $1,000,000 cap per project, she said. Projects will be submitted to the Department of Conservation for review and, if approved, contract work should begin this fall; the grant requires projects to be completed within two years.

The six selected projects (not listed in ranked order by staff) include:

- A combined stormwater basin and public recreational area with native habitat (project budget listed as $1,280,000 with a $882,000 request to the county grant). - Removal of almonds and creation of a cultural space for indigenous herbs, solar energy and native pollinators, plus an educational area. - A 12‑acre groundwater recharge and flood‑management project on the Chowchilla Bypass (total budget $2,780,000; county request $1,000,000), including fish screens required by California Department of Fish and Wildlife. - An agave conversion project in the Madera Water District on nearly 40 acres paired with a recharge facility and native habitat; staff referenced prior outreach by a community college about agave distilling and education. - A 118‑acre almond removal and conversion to recharge facilities and native plant habitat that would remove about 16,000 almond trees; staff estimated water savings of about 324 acre‑feet per year for that project. - A recharge project in the Madera Irrigation District on former almond land that was about to be planted to citrus but would remain out of production if grant funding is awarded.

Nagneson said many applicants proposed partial local funding or in‑kind contributions: “Most people are putting in their own funds as well; the $1,000,000 per project isn’t meeting full needs,” she said. The selected projects are geographically spread across the county and involve multiple Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). Staff emphasized the projects are meant to be demonstrations and models to encourage wider adoption by farmers.

Board members asked for budget detail on individual proposals; Supervisor Poitras asked for more line‑item detail on a runner‑up agave project whose $1,100,000 budget included a $1,000,000 request. Nagneson offered to provide budgets to board members for review.

Next steps, Nagneson said, are Department of Conservation review and contracting this fall; work on each project must begin in the fall and be completed within the two‑year grant period.

Ending: Board members welcomed the diversity of project types and emphasized the county’s interest in demonstration projects that can be replicated by local growers.