The Paso Robles groundwater basin has been declining for decades, and local agencies are under increasing pressure to show progress toward stabilizing the aquifer.
The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority this week approved a budget of nearly $1 million to continue monitoring, reporting and management programs through June 2026. The work is part of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which in 2014 labeled the basin “critically overdrafted” after years of pumping more water than nature could replace.
For many rural homeowners and farmers, the basin is their only water source and the impacts are already visible.
At Monday’s meeting, Squirrel Hollow property owner Murray Powell urged board members to move faster.
“When you talk about dry wells, Squirrel Hollow is a disaster area,” Powell said. “The properties on both sides of our house have had dry wells. Tens of thousands of dollars redrill, almost 50-80,000 bucks. And what do you guys do about it? What have you done about it?”
Board members acknowledged the urgency. Member Hilary Graves said any future management decisions must consider the region’s agricultural economy, especially smaller and diversified farms.
“I don't think that it would be wise for us to price people out of farming,” Graves said. “I’d like to see some sort of methodology based on crop type so that people who are growing other crops besides wine grapes can continue to farm profitably.”
To meet state requirements, the authority has been expanding its monitoring network, standardizing basin-wide data reporting and updating management programs. Members also agreed to move forward with creating a stakeholder advisory committee, which would give farmers, small well users and larger agricultural producers a direct role in shaping future pumping policies.
The basin remains under state scrutiny until local agencies can demonstrate long-term progress toward groundwater sustainability.
