Conaway Ranch is a 17,300-acre ranch in Yolo County, California. The vast property is located between the cities of Woodland, Davis, and West Sacramento in a triangle formed by California State Route 113, Interstate 5, and Interstate 80.

Land Uses

Conaway Ranch currently supports heavy agricultural uses, contains rich wildlife habitats along the Sacramento River, and contains Yolo County's largest gas fields and has the rights to over 50,000-acre feet of surgace water rights, including groundwater and riparian rights that go with the land. The land also hosts recreational activities and parts lie within the Yolo Bypass, a vast flood basin that holds waters from the Sacramento River during peak floods. The property is currently managed by the Conaway Preservation Group, LLC, owned by a prominant Sacramento-based developing consortium led by Steve Gidaro. The land was sold to the consortium after the unsuccessful National Energy & Transmission Inc put it up for sale during a closed-bidding process in 2004.

Current Issues

In 1990, Steve Gidaro and other real estate developers had plans to purchase and develop 4,000 acres of the ranch under a project proposal entitled, "Conaway Station." The County of Yolo, just east of Sacramento County, California, is currently involved in eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property from the Conaway Preservation Group, LLC in order to preserve it as a permanent agricultural and open space buffer between the growing cities of Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento. Yolo County officials are adamant about securing the land and have recently received full political and financial backing from the Rumsey Tribe of Wintun Indians in Northern California.

Conaway's Future

An eminent domain court hearing date has been set for November 1, 2005, in order to review whether or not Yolo County has the right to secure the property in the interest of its residents and for the good of its greater region.