In Madera County there are only two incorporated cities both located on the Valley Floor: the cities of Chowchilla and Madera. These two cities account for approximately 50 percent of the County’s population. A few of the unincorporated communities in the Valley Floor include Berenda, Fairmead, Madera Ranchos, and Rolling Hills. The predominant land uses in the Valley Floor include agricultural, residential, commercial/institutional, industrial, and landscape irrigation. All these land use types can be found in the cities of Chowchilla and Madera, except for agricultural use, which comprises most of the land use outside the urban areas in the Valley Floor.

Since most of Madera County is unincorporated this creates great responsibility for property owners. If you do not live in one of the two cities, you may own your own well and septic tank that is your responsibility to maintain, repair, and test from time to time. Domestic wells are typically shallower than production wells used for agricultural, commercial, and urban supply putting them at greater risk of going dry and having other issues. You must remove brush on an annual basis to keep the fire and flood danger to a minimum. You must be aware of soil care, invasive weed abatement, and flood control issues on your own property as well as fence repairs and possible road repairs to be a good neighbor.