1. Arsenic in Corral de Tierra Rises with Groundwater Levels — No Clear Management Fix A detailed water quality analysis by Montgomery & Associates found a statistically significant positive correlation between groundwater level trends and arsenic concentration trends in certain well pairs in the Corral de Tierra area. In those wells, rising groundwater levels into the Paso Robles Formation, which contains naturally occurring arsenic, were associated with increasing arsenic concentrations. This presents a management paradox: SGMA requires the GSA to prevent groundwater level declines, but raising levels worsens arsenic. Staff indicated there is no clear groundwater management direction from these findings, and the GSA will focus on building awareness of treatment options (point-of-use/point-of-entry systems) and coordinating with Environmental Health rather than adjusting pumping strategy.
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