ETSGSA Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program 2026 Project Funding Application

Program Summary:

The East Turlock Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETSGSA) is soliciting applications for funding for Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) projects to be implemented in the Turlock Subbasin. MLRP projects are demand reduction projects that result in a reduction in groundwater pumping and net groundwater use and also provide additional benefits (“multibenefit”). MLRP projects may include, but are not limited to, the following land repurposing activities: MLRP Fallowing, Orchard Swale Rewilding, Stormwater Ponds, Constructed Basins (Retention/Recharge Basin), Floodplain Reconnection, Floodflow Spreading, or other strategies that repurpose land from irrigated to non-irrigated status and provide a variety of other benefits. Visit https://turlock-mlrp.netlify.app/ for more information about the ETSGSA’s MLRP.

 

Purpose of this Application:

This 2026 MLRP Project Funding Application seeks to gather the necessary information for ETSGSA to evaluate and select projects to receive incentives/partial funding in 2026 through ETSGSA's MLRP. The 2026 round of MLRP projects will be funded (in part) through Department of Conservation (DOC) MLRP grant funding that was secured by ETSGSA (DOC-Funded MLRP Projects Incentive payment amounts and procedures are described in ETSGSA’s Incentive Payment Framework for MLRP.

Project Selection Process:

Applications received by the closing date of the Solicitation Period (provided below) will be processed and scored in relation to ETSGSA’s defined MLRP Project scoring criteria. Ranked applications will then be reviewed by the ETSGSA and its designated Technical Advisory Committee and Stakeholder Advisory Committee, at which point initial project selections will be approved by ETSGSA’s Board of Directors. Selected Projects will be sent to DOC for review and approval. Upon approval by DOC, approved Project applicants will enter into an Agreement with ETSGSA prior to Project implementation.

 

Program Requirements:

To adhere to ETSGSA’s Rules and Regulations, and the DOC MLRP funding requirements which apply for these MLRP Project solicitations, projects must meet the following requirements:

• Projects must be located on parcel(s) designated as “Irrigated” per ETSGSA’s definition.
• Projects must be implemented in accordance with ETSGSA’s applicable Implementation Standards.
• Projects must provide the intended benefits for a minimum duration of ten years.
• Projects that achieve demand reduction solely through land repurposing that reduces the irrigated crop area (i.e., Projects that do not include use of surface water to provide Direct Recharge and/or In-Lieu Recharge benefits) must be conducted on lands that currently only use groundwater for irrigation supply.
• Project implementation must be completed and invoices submitted to ETSGSA by December 31, 2026 to ensure that final project funding can be released by DOC by the MLRP grant closing date of March 31, 2027.
• If selected for MLRP Project funding, the Owner/Operator of a Project must enter into an Agreement with ETSGSA and comply with all terms of said Agreement.
• If a Project is selected and intends to use contractor(s) to perform any portion of the work, the Applicant will be required to obtain and submit to ETSGSA at least two (2) contractor quotes for the work prior to execution of the Agreement with ETSGSA.
• If the Applicant is not the Owner of the parcel on which the Project is located, written owner consent must be obtained and submitted by the solicitation deadline along with the completed Application.

 

Technical Assistance:

Technical Assistance is available, through ETSGSA’s MLRP team, including to assist with development of project concepts and to answer landowners’ questions regarding completion of this application. For technical assistance please contact ETSGSA at:

     Email: etsgsa-support@formationenv.com

     Phone: (209) 407-1233

Interested applicants should complete this Application in its entirety and submit to ETSGSA by the end of the applicable Solicitation Period, below. Applicants may fill out the form either online or in hard copy:

1. Online: answer each required question (denoted with an asterisk *) in the online application form. You have the option to save drafts and complete the form over multiple sessions. Once complete, click submit. It is recommended to then “save a copy of my response”, and a copy of the completed application will be emailed to you.
2. Hard copy: Download and print the application and answer each required question (denoted with an asterisk * Mail the completed hard-copy application, including all attachments, to:

East Turlock Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency Attn: MLRP Project Application, 731 East Yosemite Ave., Suite B#318 Merced, California, CA 95340

Or email the completed application form to etsgsa-support@formationenv.com.

 

2026 MLRP Application Solicitation Period:

The Solicitation Period for MLRP projects to be funded (in part) by the DOC grant is:

January 1, 2026 through February 28, 2026

Additional MLRP Project Funding Application Solicitation Periods may be opened in the future based on available MLRP funding.

1 Applicant and Property Information

This section requests information regarding the Applicant, the property on which the proposed Project is located, and related information for purposes of Application tracking.

1.1 Applicant Contact Information

Please provide contact information for the applicant.

Note: If a proposed Project is approved for funding, details on the person or legal entity that will be party to the funding Agreement with ETSGSA will be worked out, as necessary.

Note: If the applicant is not the Owner of the parcel, then written consent regarding potential participation in the MLRP Program must be obtained from the Owner and submitted by the solicitation deadline along with the completed application.

 1.2 Project Property Information

Please provide the following information for the specific parcel(s) where the proposed Project is or will be located.

 1.3 Groundwater Account

The Groundwater Accounting Platform (https://groundwateraccounting.org/etsgsa) is anonline system for tracking groundwater use for parcels designated as “Irrigated” within the ETSGSA area.

2 Project Details

This section requests the following information on the proposed Project:

• The proposed Project’s consistency with the Turlock Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP’s) goals and the DOC’s MLRP goals
• A narrative Project description
• Specific questions about the proposed Project’s components (land repurposing activities, water infrastructure, water sources, etc.).
• Project Budget and Funding

2.1 Project Consistency with the Turlock GSP

Please indicate whether the proposed Project is consistent with the following sustainability goal for the Turlock Subbasin, as defined in the Turlock GSP:

"The Sustainability Goal for the Turlock Subbasin is to ensure a reliable and sustainable groundwater supply that supports population growth, sustains the agricultural economy, and provides for beneficial uses, especially during drought."

2.2 Project Consistency with the DOC MLRP Desired Outcomes for Projects

2.3 Project Description

This section requests a narrative description of the proposed Project and is intended to gain a qualitative understanding of how the various specific Project components fit together. Sections 2.4 and 2.5, below, request quantities of the Project components for use in project scoring, quantitative benefits assessment, and funding estimates.

2.3.1 Project Narrative

2.3.2 Project Benefits

Describe how benefits in the following categories are proposed to be achieved under the proposed Project.

2.4 Land Repurposing Activities Included in the Proposed Project

Land Repurposing Activities are activities that involve removing crops and converting croplands to alternative uses, such as those listed below. Information about the above Land Repurposing Activities can be found in the Repurposing Opportunities and Approaches section of the Turlock MLRP website (https://turlock-mlrp.netlify.app/).

• MLRP Extended Fallowing
• MLRP Orchard Swale Rewilding
• MLRP Stormwater Ponds
• MLRP Constructed Basins (Retention/Recharge Basins)
• MLRP Floodplain Reconnection
• MLRP Floodflow Spreading

 2.4.1 Areas of Land Repurposing Activities

2.4.2 Current Land Use on Areas Designated for Land Repurposing

Note: Lands irrigated partially or wholly with surface water are not eligible for participation in the ETSGSA MLRP.

2.5 Water Infrustructure

Projects may include construction/installation or modification of water infrastructure, including but not limited to:

• Constructed Basins (Retention/Recharge Basins)
• Side Gates Pipelines
• Pumps
• Flow Meters
• Flow Control Structures
• General Earthwork (not part of Constructed Basins)

2.6 Project Map

Please attach a map showing the locations of each of the Land Repurposing Activities and Infrastructure (Existing and to be Constructed or Modified as part of the proposed Project).

Instructions:

Project Maps may be provided in any of the following formats:

• Static map figure (.pdf, .jpg, .tif)
• Engineer’s plan view drawings (.pdf, .jpg, .tif)
• Shapefile (.shp and related files)
• Google Earth file (.kml or .kmz)
• Google Earth is free software and easy to use. Instructions on how to create a kml orkmz file can be found here: https://support.google.com/mapcontentpartners/answer/15179231?hl=en

If the Project Map is submitted in the form of a static map figure (option 1 above) or Engineer’s plan view drawing (option 2 above), they must include the following:

• A scale indication
• A North arrow/indication

2.7 Project Implementation Timeline

Note: To ensure that funding for projects can be released by DOC by the end of the grant term (March 31, 2027), Project implementation must be completed by December 31, 2026.

2.8 Project Water Source

Projects may (but are not required to) involve the use of surface water for either Direct Recharge or In-Lieu Recharge (described further below).

Status of Proposed Water Source(s) for Project

Which of the following best describes the status of development of the proposed Project’s water supply source(s) in terms of Engineering, Contractual Arrangements, and Water Rights (check one for each category, and optionally describe).

2.9 Direct Recharge

Direct Recharge is managed percolation of surface water into the subsurface for purposesof increasing groundwater storage in the subsurface aquifers.

2.10 In-Lieu Recharge

In-lieu Recharge is the substitution of surface water for groundwater for irrigation purposes.

2.11 Estimated Project Cost and Funding Details

This section requests information on costs of the proposed Project to inform project evaluation and scoring.

Note: Selected Projects will undergo budget refinement prior to entering into a Project Agreement with ETSGSA.

 

Note: If a Project is approved for funding and plans to use contractor(s) for implementation, a minimum of two quotes from contractors must be obtained and submitted to ETSGSA prior to execution of the Agreement.

2.12 Other Information