Vallejo opens new front in water dispute with American Canyon

Vallejo recently initiated legal action to try to stop American Canyon from annexing an area northeast of the city, opening up another instance of the ongoing legal dispute between the two cities over water rights.

Vallejo, in a legal petition filed Dec. 7, asked Napa County Superior Court to halt a proposed American Canyon annexation of 83 acres in the area around Watson Lane, near the ongoing Watson Ranch housing development. The city said American Canyon’s environmental review of the annexation doesn’t properly plan for how much water Vallejo is required to provide to the city under a 1996 water service agreement — the source of the larger dispute.

The annexation would allow American Canyon to build an extension of Newell Drive, which would help to relieve the city’s often heavy traffic along Highway 29 — the extension would bend west to connect with the highway in the north — and improve access for first responders, according to a city staff report. Road development would also be financially supported by a proposed industrial park in the area.

But Vallejo sees the annexation as another instance of American Canyon’s not considering its differing interpretation of how much water the city is required to provide.

American Canyon, which lacks a city-owned reservoir, gets most of its water from the State Water Project. But the city’s second main source of water comes from Vallejo through the 1996 agreement.

The conflict over water rights kicked off in July 2022, during a time of drought across California. American Canyon sued Vallejo shortly after the city decided it wasn’t obligated to deliver water to the planned 35-home Canyon Estates development located in the hills in the eastern part of the city, north of American Canyon High School.

Vallejo provides water to American Canyon through the Maine Prairie Branch of Cache Slough and Lindsay Slough in Solano County to fulfill the agreement. But Vallejo’s access to that water was curtailed by the California State Water Resources Control Board in 2021 and 2022.

So, Vallejo sought to limit the water it provided to American Canyon under the agreement, according to the lawsuit. But American Canyon argued that Vallejo was indeed obligated to provide the water, even if it needed to come from other city sources. And the city argued any cutbacks in water supply would need to be similarly applied to other Vallejo water customers.

While that lawsuit proceeded, Vallejo sued American Canyon in April in an attempt to halt the development of a large warehouse complex north of the city. American Canyon hadn’t properly assessed water supply given the dispute, according to the city.

Both of those lawsuits were originally filed in Napa County Superior Court but later moved to Sacramento County Superior Court at Vallejo’s request.

As for the annexation attempt, American Canyon still has a few steps before annexing the land. The City Council on Nov. 7 certified the environmental impact report, well aware of repeated complaints from Vallejo.

But Terrence McGrath, developer of Watson Ranch, urged the council to not let Vallejo’s opposition deter them.

“Honestly, they’re simply trying to be bullies,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.