Madera council directs staff to pursue domestic well mitigation framework with MID and MWD

The Madera City Council on Sept. 3 directed staff to work with the Madera Irrigation District (MID) and Madera Water District (MWD) to pursue a Domestic Well Mitigation Program (DWMP) framework intended to address domestic wells that have gone dry because of declining regional groundwater levels.

City engineer Keith, presenting the item, said the DWMP is a component of the region’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan and described recent inter‑GSA meetings and a mediator‑proposed framework letter to align agencies. "Mitigation of a well will have a target maximum reimbursement of $30,000," Keith said, noting that the draft framework set a $30,000 cap though staff had previously discussed $35,000 as a reference point.

Why it matters: the Groundwater Sustainability Plan requires GSAs to achieve sustainability by 2040; dry domestic wells create immediate household impacts and the framework sets the rules for which wells qualify for reimbursement and how costs are shared among GSAs.

Key elements presented by staff included: eligibility limited to wells within the subbasin that lost connectivity due to overdraft; a single mitigation reimbursement per eligible well (the framework states wells "will be mitigated once"); mitigation to be provided by the GSA in which the well is located or by a group of GSAs; and a proposal that the city’s first‑year capital contribution be roughly $80,000 (about 1% of one cost table staff showed). Administrative costs were estimated in consultant materials in a range roughly between $4,500 and $14,000 depending on assumptions.

Council members asked multiple questions about annexation, whether funding could pay for connecting a household to the city water system rather than drilling a new well, and the risk of duplicate payments if a property shifts between GSAs. Keith said GSAs favored connections where cost‑effective but noted the state program administered through Self Help Enterprises commonly reimburses up to $60,000 and has rules that often direct funds toward drilling new wells. Council legal counsel and staff discussed recording mitigation on title to prevent "double‑dipping," and council asked that criteria for any extenuating‑circumstances exception be spelled out in clear, accessible language.

Councilmember Montez moved to approve the DWMP framework concept with edit suggestions (clarify mitigation cost/exceptions, mitigation frequency, and recording on title), to move forward working with MID and MWD, and to keep the door open for county participation. The motion was seconded and passed in a voice vote; the mayor directed the city engineer to proceed with the stated directions.

The council’s direction was procedural and conceptual: staff will return with refined language and details after upcoming GSA work‑group meetings. The presentation referenced the revised GSP submitted to the Department of Water Resources on 03/21/2023 and described recent meetings on Aug. 25 and Aug. 29 where MID and MWD proposed a narrower partnership; staff said a framework letter is intended to align participating GSAs on eligibility and program rules.

What happens next: staff will continue the GSA coordination work, bring clarified criteria for extenuating circumstances and mitigation recording language back to the council, and present a more detailed DWMP document after the next round of work‑group meetings.