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Public hearings on groundwater basin set for Aug. 20, Sept. 17 

– On August 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Paso Robles Events Center’s Adelaide Room, in Paso Robles, the Local Agency Formation Commission will conduct the first hearing regarding the formation of the Paso Robles Basin Water District.

The purpose of the district is to manage the groundwater resources consistent with the state’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The August hearing will cover the following topics: an overview of the proposed district, the boundaries and powers, and options. The September 17 meeting will focus on the financing for the district and other matters regarding formation. The commission may approve, modify, condition or disapprove the application. The commission will consider oral and written testimony by any interested person or affected agency. Final formation of the proposed water district is subject to a vote of the landowners, as defined in AB 2453, within the boundary of the proposed district. The commission determines the boundaries and powers of the district. A Categorical Exemption will be considered by the commission to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.

The Paso Robles water basin. Photo from www.pasobasin.org.

The Paso Robles water basin. Photo from www.pasobasin.org.

Location:
The proposed Paso Robles Basin Water District is approximately 390,000 acres –774 square miles– located in the unincorporated areas of northern San Luis Obispo County. The proposed boundary is consistent with the Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118 groundwater basin boundary. The area is comprised of rural residential parcels, irrigated agriculture lands and crops, and grazing lands. The proposed boundaries of the District exclude the Cities of Paso Robles and Atascadero, Templeton and San Miguel Community Services Districts and Shandon and Santa Margarita County Service Areas 16 & 23.

Public Hearings:
Two public hearings are scheduled: August 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the Paso Robles Events Center – Adelaide Room, 2198 Riverside Ave, Paso Robles, and the second on September 17, at 9:00 a.m. in the Board of Supervisors Chambers in San Luis Obispo at the County Government Center located at the corner of Santa Rosa and Monterey Streets. Additional hearings may be conducted if needed.

Available Information:
The commission’s staff report and various attachments for the August 20 hearing will be available for review by July 23, on the LAFCO website: www.slolafco.com under the “Staff Reports” and “PR Water Basin” tabs. The staff report and various attachments for the September 17, hearing will be available for review by September 10, on the website.

Submit any written comments regarding the August 20 meeting by August 14. For questions or comments contact David Church at (805) 781-5795 or Dchurch@slolafco.com.

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The news staff of the Paso Robles Daily News wrote or edited this story from local contributors and press releases. The news staff can be reached at info@pasoroblesdailynews.com.