Groundwater authority releases new FAQ ahead of fee hearing
Board plans May 27 meeting at Centennial Park in Paso Robles
– The Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) has released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to address questions received from landowners and stakeholders during the ongoing public review of the Draft Rate & Fee Study Report. The FAQ, attached to this release and posted on the PRAGA website, provides additional context on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026–2027 groundwater fee, how consumed water use is calculated, and the appeals process available to property owners.
Since the draft report was released on May 7, PRAGA has received several questions from property owners and other community members. Common themes addressed in the FAQ include: the legal basis for the fee; questions of groundwater use and landowner fee responsibility; the methodology used by Land IQ, the technical consultant, to calculate evapotranspiration and consumed water use; and the documentation required to support an appeal.
“The PRAGA Board is committed to creating an equitable fee for all groundwater users in the basin. Using a recent groundwater use period as the basis for a volumetric fee is the most equitable approach, and most common practice. Transparency and community engagement are central to this process, and the FAQ is one more resource to help property owners understand the proposed fee,” said Matt Turrentine, PRAGA Board Chairman.
Key dates approaching
Wednesday, May 27, 2026: The PRAGA Board of Directors will hold a public meeting to consider adopting the groundwater sustainability fee. The Regular Meeting of the Board will be held in-person at 4 p.m. in the Norris Room at Centennial Park, 600 Nickerson Drive, Paso Robles, California 93446. The portion of the public meeting to consider fee adoption will begin at 5 p.m.
Monday, June 8, 2026: Deadline for landowners to submit formal appeals regarding their Water Year 2025 (October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025) consumed groundwater use data.
How to submit an appeal
Appeals may be submitted via email to info@PasoRoblesAGA.org or by mail to PO Box 82, Paso Robles, CA 93447. Successful appeals require evidence-based documentation, such as flow meter records, electric bills for pumps, crop yield records, or documentation of alternative water supplies. The official appeal form and the full list of documentation requirements are available on the PRAGA website.
About the proposed fee
The proposed fee is authorized under California Water Code Section 10730 and will be calculated based on consumed (net) groundwater use for Water Year 2025 (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025). If adopted by the Board, the fee will fund PRAGA’s approved FY 2026–2027 budget of $1,095,446, which covers groundwater monitoring, compliance activities, reporting requirements, and program administration necessary to keep the Paso Robles Subbasin on track toward the SGMA-mandated 2040 sustainability deadline.
Landowners with additional questions are encouraged to review the attached FAQ document or visit www.PasoRoblesAGA.org.
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.
