SSJ & EPC Water Districts: Fall Newsletter

Dear Community Member,

As we settle into fall and the busy holiday season, we want to thank you for staying engaged in our shared efforts to protect the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin.

In this newsletter edition, we are providing an important update on the Proposition 218 voting process and what it means for our community. As many of you know, the proposed Groundwater Management Charge did not pass. A majority of landowners submitted protest ballots in opposition. As water district leaders, peers and community members, we are committed to learning from this result and working with basin stakeholders to chart next steps.

Here are a few important updates we want to share with you:

In the coming months, the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) and its member agencies (our two water districts, the County of SLO and the City of Paso Robles) will be assessing all options for funding and achieving long-term Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) compliance.
A major focus of this reevaluation will be a grassroots outreach effort to better inform, engage and involve landowners in the decisions ahead. By engaging diverse stakeholders, we hope to arrive on a long-term governance and funding model that has broad community support and ensures continued compliance with state law (SGMA).
In a recent effort to engage the community, SSJ District Board Member Steve Sinton convened a group of diverse basin stakeholders to gather feedback about the Prop 218 process and share ideas for next steps. Read on in the newsletter to learn more about this group's insights and recommendations, which were presented to the PRAGA Board of Directors in October.
Despite the failed Prop 218 vote, PRAGA will continue its work to meet basic SGMA requirements, such as groundwater monitoring and annual compliance reports.

We look forward to keeping you updated as this work progresses and appreciate your ongoing interest in the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send us a quick email to info@epcwd.org and admin@ssjwd.org.

In friendship,

Matt Turrentine, Director, Shandon-San Juan Water District

Hilary Graves, Vice President, Estrella-El Pomar-Creston Water District

News & Updates

Stakeholder Group Shares Lessons Learned from Prop 218 Process, Recommendations for Future

Following the recently failed Prop 218 vote, a diverse group of Paso Robles Groundwater Basin landowners — including several who opposed the management charge — came together for two extended meetings to talk openly about what went wrong and how the community should move forward.

Despite differing perspectives, the group reached broad agreement on several key steps they believe will help rebuild trust, improve communication and guide the next phase of groundwater management. The overarching message was that the community needs a simpler, more transparent and more inclusive path forward.

Improve outreach and communication. Landowners felt previous outreach was confusing or incomplete. They recommend at least 10 in-person meetings to not only explain SGMA’s requirements, the Basin’s overdraft status and the costs and consequences of inaction, but more importantly, to listen to landowners and interested parties regarding what should be done and how it can best be accomplished.
Focus on Sustainable Groundwater Management Act compliance. The future governing entity should concentrate on meeting state requirements. These efforts should include administering a fallowing program, maintaining Land IQ monitoring with accessible water-use data and continuing well monitoring.
Ensure fair cost-sharing. Everyone who uses groundwater should contribute, with fees aligned to water use and future benefit.
Create a new, more inclusive management entity. Participants recommend replacing PRAGA with a broader coalition, supported by stakeholder advisory committees and stronger Board representation for ranching, rural residential and irrigated agriculture.

Read the full stakeholder group summary report, which SSJ Board Member Steve Sinton presented to the PRAGA Board of Directors on Oct. 22.

SGMA Progress

Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority Update

At its Oct. 22 meeting, the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority (PRAGA) Board of Directors directed staff to focus on several key next steps for Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) compliance and stronger community engagement. These efforts include: forming a stakeholder advisory group for broader public input; continuing well monitoring and Land IQ data tracking; reviewing best practices from other Groundwater Sustainability Agencies across the state; and advancing the County's MILR fallowing program.

What does the Paso Robles Area Groundwater Authority do?

The purpose of the PRAGA is to manage the implementation of the State-approved Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin. Through the PRAGA, four local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) will work together to protect the groundwater basin as a vital resource, in compliance with SGMA.

What are the GSAs and who is on the PRAGA Board of Directors?

The PRAGA board is made up of the following GSA representatives: