Board approves HydroSat contract for GSA remote sensing after growers debate methods and fees
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Summary
After a multi‑month procurement and a grower questionnaire, the board authorized a HydroSat remote‑sensing contract (not to exceed $493,020) for groundwater measurement, with direction to staff to consider fee reductions and stewardship of meter/options costs.
The Madera County GSA awarded a remote‑sensing contract to HydroSat on Dec. 9 after staff described a public procurement process, vendor interviews and a grower questionnaire that measured user preferences among remote‑sensing providers and meter options.
Stephanie Agneson summarized the RFP timeline, the questionnaire results (roughly two‑to‑one support for HydroSat among respondents representing about 35,000 acres), and the relative one‑year and three‑year cost comparisons for single‑method versus multi‑method measurement approaches (staff presented a one‑year HydroSat cost of roughly $444,000 and a three‑year projection near $1.3 million; two‑method approaches were materially higher) (SEG 2448–2514). The recommended contract before the board was for HydroSat services not to exceed $493,020 through Dec. 31, 2028 and included support for meters in the transition.
Grower representatives and vendors spoke: Mark Peters (grower) urged the board to consider a single method to reduce per‑acre fees and return savings to growers; representatives from Land IQ questioned staffing and ground‑truthing differences; Madera Ag Water Association offered measured support while seeking clarity on service costs and the interpretation of the survey. Board members asked about accuracy, ground‑truth stations and costs. Staff and the presenters said the vendors are broadly comparable in methodology and that the questionnaire, vendor proposals and interviews informed the recommendation.
The board approved the HydroSat contract and asked staff to explore fee reductions to reflect any cost savings from selecting a single method. Directors approved the contract by roll‑call vote (5–0). The contract award moves measurement services to HydroSat as the primary remote‑sensing provider; staff will oversee consultant support, transition tasks and further outreach to growers.
What’s next: Staff will finalize contract documents, manage the vendor transition, continue outreach and return to the board with program cost options and reporting on transition milestones.