California Ag Network

Tag: Madera Irrigation District

  • How This Farmer Returned 158 Acre-ft of Stormwater to the Soil in 10 Days

    California has been blessed with a tremendous amount of snow and rainfall this spring.  Coming after many dry years that have reduced our groundwater supply, farmers want to do all they can in this brief time of plenty to not only irrigate their drought-stressed trees and vines, but also recharge the groundwater supply beneath their fields.  But how quickly can a farmer prepare his/her land to take on some of this snowmelt for groundwater recharge purposes and what will it require?  Watch this video featuring Madera grape and nut grower Jennifer Peters, who in a very short time was able to install an on-farm groundwater recharge basin and capture much of this stormwater.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Ranch Systems for their industry support.

  • Madera Irrigation District Leads the Charge on Groundwater Recharge

    While farmers are accustomed to paying for the water they use, growers in Madera Irrigation District have recently been getting their water for free for groundwater recharge purposes.  While the snow melts and water is aplenty, growers are working quickly to set their farms up to be able to spread some of this water across their fields, in a ditch, or a basin to replenish their groundwater supply.  This not only serves to benefit the farmer, but the entire community as well.  Watch this video with Thomas Greci, General Manager of the Madera Irrigation District as he explains.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Ranch Systems for their industry support.

  • The Grower Experience with Groundwater Recharge Workshop, April 12

    With the recent Executive Order from California Governor Newsom and record rainfall and snowpack brought on by recent storms, California farmers have a short window of opportunity through the spring and early summer to take their water future into their own hands through groundwater recharge.  California farms and rural communities have been devastated by the effects of a relentless drought, and now is the time to make a difference.  But how?  There are several methods of on-farm groundwater recharge available to landowners.  To find out where to start, the Madera/Chowchilla Resource Conservation District is holding a groundwater recharge workshop in partnership with Sustainable Conservation,  NRCS, Madera Irrigation District, the Almond Board of California, and California Ag Network.

    This Grower Experience with Recharge Workshop will be held on April 12th from 9AM-12PM. Topics covered in this workshop include how to prepare for on-farm recharge and recharge basins, obstacles and challenges faced as well as the successes reached by growers who are implementing recharge.  Wendy Rash from the Natural Resources Conservation District, Amy Siliznoff from the Chowchilla Resource Conservation District and Dina Nolan from the Merced Irrigation District will be present to address and assist growers. Six growers with direct experience with groundwater recharge will also be featured in a Q&A session to discuss these topics, including: Nick Davis, Cavin Markarian, Steve Pistoresi, Mark Hutson, Karun Samran & Case Vlot. Between the six local growers, they farm a host of fruit and nut crops as well as forage and annual crops from Fresno to Merced Counties.  See the flyer for additional information regarding this event. Registration for this workshop can be found by visiting www.maderachowchillarcd.org