Napa groundwater fees are poised to add another cost for wineries and grape growers in Napa Valley, where many operators are already under pressure. County supervisors are set to consider new charges tied to groundwater management as officials work to meet California’s sustainability mandates for the aquifer beneath the valley.
Under the proposed rates for the 2026-27 fiscal year, growers who do not pump groundwater would still pay $17.53 for each planted acre. Those who irrigate with groundwater would pay an additional $26.91 per acre, bringing the total to $44.44. County officials say even growers who dry-farm or rely on surface water or recycled water still benefit from groundwater availability. Napa Valley Vintners’ Michelle Novi warned supervisors in June that the timing is especially hard for the region’s wine businesses, saying, “To have this fee come now is very difficult for our members and our industry to weather.”
The fees are designed to support the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency, which California requires to meet sustainability goals for the aquifer running beneath the valley from Calistoga to south of Napa. That agency has been partly supported by county general fund dollars, but the county has cut its contribution from about $2 million a year to $500,000 this fiscal year. The new fees, along with the agency’s savings, are expected to cover the rest of its operating budget. Officials also set separate charges for rural homeowners and businesses with wells at $28.17 per parcel, while public water systems would face a $58.47-per-acre-foot fee.
Wine industry leaders have argued that any added expense lands at a rough moment for growers and wineries. Even though the proposed charges are less than half the maximum amounts some had feared, the industry says the new bill still comes on top of a difficult business climate. The county responded in June by agreeing to draw from agency savings to ease the first-year impact after hearing objections from growers and vintners.
