Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority Board of Directors Charts New Path to Fund Agency

Community Invited to Public Workshop to Evaluate Fee Options

Board votes unanimously to pursue Proposition 26 fee process; public workshop set for Thursday, March 12 at the Bellasera

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (February 27, 2026) — The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) Board of Directors voted unanimously on Wednesday, February 18, to develop groundwater management fees under Water Code Section 10730 to fund state-mandated basin management and keep the agency operational. The move is necessary to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), and will benefit, and be funded by, the public water suppliers and agricultural and commercial property owners who depend on the basin.

Water Code Section 10730 authorizes PRAGA to impose fees on certain users for basin groundwater management, and those fees must be fair and reasonable under Proposition 26.

“While Proposition 26 fees are not designed to fund large capital projects, this funding structure provides the essential foundation and shared commitment the basin needs to move forward now, comply with the law, and protect our region’s critical groundwater resources long term,” said Matt Turrentine, Board Chairman. 

PRAGA will host a public workshop on Thursday, March 12 at 5:30 p.m., at the Bellasera Hotel (206 Alexa Court) in Paso Robles, where community members will have the opportunity to learn about and share their input on the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget and how fees may be structured.

The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is classified by the California Department of Water Resources as critically overdrafted, meaning more water is being pumped from the basin than is naturally replenished. Under SGMA, PRAGA is legally required to bring the basin into balance by 2040. Fulfilling that mandate requires sustained, reliable funding — and right now, that funding does not yet exist.

Last year, PRAGA attempted to establish a groundwater management fee under a different portion of the Water Code, using the Proposition 218 process, which would have yielded $3.2M in revenues and allowed for funding of capital projects in addition to compliance activities. In August, a majority of property owners submitted formal protests, which under Prop. 218 rules prevented the Board from voting on the proposed rates.

The Board's unanimous February vote to pursue a Proposition 26 fee adoption process represents a legally sound path forward. Water Code Section 10730 authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Agencies like PRAGA to impose fees on groundwater users to fund the costs of a groundwater sustainability program — including preparation of state-mandated reports, monitoring, inspections, compliance, enforcement, and program administration. Unlike the prior Proposition 218 process, Water Code Section 10730 fees are not subject to majority protest.

The proposed fees would fund PRAGA's Fiscal Year 2026–27 operating budget. A recently released draft budget proposes a $1.15 million to keep the agency running in compliance and complete state-mandated tasks.

Public Workshop: Thursday, March 12 — Bellasera

PRAGA is committed to educating the community before any budget or fee structure is finalized. The March 12 workshop will walk participants through the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget and how fees may be structured and allocated.

Each option has different implications for fairness, administrative complexity, and alignment with actual water use. The workshop is designed to ensure that all stakeholders — agricultural operators, commercial users, municipalities and residents — have a clear understanding of the options and their implications.

Following the March 12 workshop, PRAGA staff will bring a proposed budget and fee structure to the Board for consideration.

The next PRAGA Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25. At that meeting, the Board will be presented with the Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget for consideration of adoption, receive a full presentation from staff on fee structuring options under Proposition 26, and review feedback gathered during the public workshop process.The Board will then vote on whether to adopt the budget and fees, including key policy decisions such as who will be required to pay, how fees will be structured, and how penalty fees for non-compliance will be handled.

About the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA)
The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) is a Joint Powers Authority formed to lead sustainable management of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin in compliance with California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). PRAGA is comprised of four member agencies: the City of Paso Robles, the County of San Luis Obispo, the Shandon-San Juan Water District, and the Estrella-El Pomar-Creston Water District. PRAGA is required to bring the critically overdrafted basin into balance by 2040. For more information, visit www.PasoRoblesAGA.org.

# # #

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Stacie Jacob
sjacob@solterrastrategies.com
805-591-4884