The American West is facing a water crisis made worse every year by climate change and drought. That’s posing an existential threat to agricultural economies across the region, especially in smaller cities and towns like Paso Robles.
The explosive growth of Paso Robles’ wine industry since the 1990’s is often touted as a major economic success story on the Central Coast. But some benefit from this more than others, as lower-income families struggle making enough to live in Paso Robles if they can afford it at all.
The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin occupies more than 500,000 acres stretching from the Highway 101 corridor to Shandon, and from Garden Farms south of Atascadero.