Lake Berryessa
Encyclopedia
Lake Berryessa is the largest lake
in Napa County, California
. This reservoir
is formed by the Monticello Dam
, which provides water and hydroelectricity
to the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area
.
The lake was named for the first European settlers in the Berryessa Valley, José Jesús and Sexto "Sisto" Berrelleza (a Basque surname, Anglicized to Berreyesa then later respelled Berryessa), who were granted Rancho Las Putas
in 1843.
Prior to its inundation, the valley was an agricultural region, whose soils were considered among the finest in the country. The main town in the valley, Monticello
, was abandoned in order to construct the reservoir. This abandonment was chronicled by the photographers Dorothea Lange
and Pirkle Jones in their book Death of a Valley. Construction of Monticello Dam was begun in 1953, and the reservoir filled by 1963, creating what at the time was the second-largest reservoir in California after Shasta Lake
.
The lake is heavily used for recreational purposes and encompases over 20,000 acres (80 km²) when full. The reservoir is approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) long, but only 3 miles (5 km) wide. It has approximately 165 miles (265 km) of shoreline. It has a seaplane landing area that is open to the public. One of the larger islands supported a small plane landing area, but was closed in the early 1970s after the FAA issued a safety report.
Near the dam on the southeast side of the reservoir is an open bell-mouth spillway
, 72 feet (21.9 m) in diameter.
The area was also the site of one of the infamous Zodiac Killer's murders.
watershed. It has a storage capacity of 1602000 acre.ft, making it one of the larger reservoirs in California.
Though the land behind the Monticello Dam is in Napa County, the water contained above is essentially owned by Solano County
. The water is used for hydroelectric and agricultural purposes outside of Napa County, CA.
has maintained a cooperative weather station at the lake since November 1, 1957. Records show that the area has hot, mostly dry summers and cool, wet winters. Normal January temperatures are a maximum of 57.7 °F (14.3 °C) and a minimum of 36.1 °F (2.3 °C). Normal July temperatures are a maximum of 93.8 °F (34.3 °C) and a minimum of 57.3 °F (14.1 °C). There an average of 80.1 days with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 28.0 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.
The record high temperature was 115 °F (46.1 °C) on July 24, 2006. The record low temperature was 13 °F (-10.6 °C) on December 22, 1990.
The wettest year was 1983 with 56.94 inches (1,446.3 mm) and the driest year was 1976 with 7.78 inches (197.6 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 21.33 inches (541.8 mm) in January 1995. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.29 inches (134.4 mm) on December 31, 2005. Snowfall is very rare, but 0.4 inches (10.2 mm) fell in January 1974.
Lake Berryessa is a swimming and water skiing
site for enthusiasts. The narrow portion of the reservoir, nearest to the Monticello Dam, is referred to as the "Narrows," and is sometimes busy with boaters on holidays and weekends.
There are several resorts with marinas at the lake, as well as nearby Lake Solano County Park located west of Winters, California
. Day use areas include Oak Shores and Smittle Creek. There are swimming areas closed to boats and other watercraft, as well as several hiking trails.
of 2006 set aside the former study area of 6350 acres (25.7 km²) located 1.8 miles (2.9 km) past Pope Creek bridge on the Pope Creek arm of Lake Berryessa. The wilderness can be accessed by car or boat, although there are no maintained trails (as yet). Hiking can be difficult as more than half of the wilderness consists of Sargent's cypress
, which covers 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and is relatively pure genetically. It is the second most widely distributed cypress in California, and was named for Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927), the founder and director of Harvard University
's Arnold Arboretum and author of the 14-volume Silva of North America. The area is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management
and California Department of Fish and Game
.
, leather oak, Jepson's navarretia
, and Bridge's brodiaea.
Fish species in Lake Berryessa include bluegill
, brown trout
, channel catfish
, chinook salmon
, green sunfish
, kokanee
, largemouth bass
, smallmouth bass
, rainbow trout
, spotted bass
, white catfish Sacramento squawfish and landlocked steelhead.
The introduced species of carp
, is also present and feeds on organic matter, water snails, bloodworm, fresh water mussels as well as their own eggs.
The east side of the lake has a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) Wildlife Management Area that protects wildlife habitats for such species as mountain lion, black-tailed deer, western rattlesnake
, raccoon, skunk, osprey
and golden eagle
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Napa County, California
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
. This reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
is formed by the Monticello Dam
Monticello Dam
Monticello Dam is a dam in Napa County, California, United States constructed between 1953 and 1957. It is a medium concrete-arch dam with a structural height of 304 ft and a crest length of . It contains 326,000 cubic yards of concrete...
, which provides water and hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
to the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
The lake was named for the first European settlers in the Berryessa Valley, José Jesús and Sexto "Sisto" Berrelleza (a Basque surname, Anglicized to Berreyesa then later respelled Berryessa), who were granted Rancho Las Putas
Rancho Las Putas
Rancho Las Putas was a Mexican land grant in present day Napa County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José de Jesús Berreyesa and Sexto "Sisto" Berreyesa. The name Las Putas came from Putah Creek, which ran through the property...
in 1843.
Prior to its inundation, the valley was an agricultural region, whose soils were considered among the finest in the country. The main town in the valley, Monticello
Monticello, California
Monticello was a town in Napa County, California. The site of the settlement is completely covered by Lake Berryessa.-History:Monticello was a town erected within Rancho Las Putas, a Mexican land grant of given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José de Jesús Berelleza and Sexto "Sisto"...
, was abandoned in order to construct the reservoir. This abandonment was chronicled by the photographers Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange was an influential American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration...
and Pirkle Jones in their book Death of a Valley. Construction of Monticello Dam was begun in 1953, and the reservoir filled by 1963, creating what at the time was the second-largest reservoir in California after Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake, also called Lake Shasta, is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California...
.
The lake is heavily used for recreational purposes and encompases over 20,000 acres (80 km²) when full. The reservoir is approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) long, but only 3 miles (5 km) wide. It has approximately 165 miles (265 km) of shoreline. It has a seaplane landing area that is open to the public. One of the larger islands supported a small plane landing area, but was closed in the early 1970s after the FAA issued a safety report.
Near the dam on the southeast side of the reservoir is an open bell-mouth spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
, 72 feet (21.9 m) in diameter.
The area was also the site of one of the infamous Zodiac Killer's murders.
Hydrology
The lake is fed by the head waters to the 576 square mile (1,490 km²) Putah CreekPutah Creek
Putah Creek is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range...
watershed. It has a storage capacity of 1602000 acre.ft, making it one of the larger reservoirs in California.
Though the land behind the Monticello Dam is in Napa County, the water contained above is essentially owned by Solano County
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
. The water is used for hydroelectric and agricultural purposes outside of Napa County, CA.
Climate
The National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
has maintained a cooperative weather station at the lake since November 1, 1957. Records show that the area has hot, mostly dry summers and cool, wet winters. Normal January temperatures are a maximum of 57.7 °F (14.3 °C) and a minimum of 36.1 °F (2.3 °C). Normal July temperatures are a maximum of 93.8 °F (34.3 °C) and a minimum of 57.3 °F (14.1 °C). There an average of 80.1 days with highs of 90 °F (32.2 °C) or higher and an average of 28.0 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.
The record high temperature was 115 °F (46.1 °C) on July 24, 2006. The record low temperature was 13 °F (-10.6 °C) on December 22, 1990.
The wettest year was 1983 with 56.94 inches (1,446.3 mm) and the driest year was 1976 with 7.78 inches (197.6 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 21.33 inches (541.8 mm) in January 1995. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 5.29 inches (134.4 mm) on December 31, 2005. Snowfall is very rare, but 0.4 inches (10.2 mm) fell in January 1974.
Recreation
Popular activities include waterskiing, jet skiing, pleasure boating, kayaking and canoeing, hiking, road bicycling, motorcycle pleasure biking, birding, wildlife observation, picnicking, and swimming.Lake Berryessa is a swimming and water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
site for enthusiasts. The narrow portion of the reservoir, nearest to the Monticello Dam, is referred to as the "Narrows," and is sometimes busy with boaters on holidays and weekends.
There are several resorts with marinas at the lake, as well as nearby Lake Solano County Park located west of Winters, California
Winters, California
Winters is a city in Yolo County, California. The population was 6,624 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is near Lake Berryessa. It is noted as the one-time residence of cartoonist R...
. Day use areas include Oak Shores and Smittle Creek. There are swimming areas closed to boats and other watercraft, as well as several hiking trails.
Cedar Roughs Wilderness
Adjoining the Lake Berryessa Recreational Area is the recently designated Cedar Roughs Wilderness. The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness ActNorthern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act
The Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act is a U.S. federal law enacted in 2006 that enlarged existing wilderness boundaries and created new wilderness areas for protection under the National Wilderness Preservation System...
of 2006 set aside the former study area of 6350 acres (25.7 km²) located 1.8 miles (2.9 km) past Pope Creek bridge on the Pope Creek arm of Lake Berryessa. The wilderness can be accessed by car or boat, although there are no maintained trails (as yet). Hiking can be difficult as more than half of the wilderness consists of Sargent's cypress
Cupressus sargentii
Cupressus sargentii is a species of conifer in the Cupressaceae family known by the common name Sargent's cypress. It is endemic to California, where it is known from Mendocino county southwards to Santa Barbara county. This taxon is limited to the Coast Range mountains. Like Mcnab Cypress, it...
, which covers 3000 acres (12.1 km²) and is relatively pure genetically. It is the second most widely distributed cypress in California, and was named for Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927), the founder and director of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Arnold Arboretum and author of the 14-volume Silva of North America. The area is jointly managed by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
and California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
.
Flora and fauna
Notable plants in the area include sergeant cypress, white alderWhite Alder
White Alder may refer to:* USCGC White Alder , a United States Coast Guard ship* White Alder , a North American flowering plant...
, leather oak, Jepson's navarretia
Navarretia
Navarretia is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants related to the phloxes and the gilias. This is one genus of plants among others which are sometimes called pincushion plants. The inflorescence which bears the flowers is surrounded by frilly green bracts bearing soft spines, giving it...
, and Bridge's brodiaea.
Fish species in Lake Berryessa include bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, green sunfish
Green sunfish
The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish...
, kokanee
Kokanee
Kokanee is a word from the Okanagan language referring to land-locked lake populations of Sockeye salmon . It may also refer to:* Kokanee Range, a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada...
, largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, spotted bass
Spotted bass
The Spotted Bass , also called "Spotty", "Leeman", or "Spots" in various fishing communities, is a species of freshwater fish sunfish family of order Perciformes. One of the black basses, it is native to the Mississippi River basin and across theGulf States, from central Texas through the Florida...
, white catfish Sacramento squawfish and landlocked steelhead.
The introduced species of carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, is also present and feeds on organic matter, water snails, bloodworm, fresh water mussels as well as their own eggs.
The east side of the lake has a 2000 acres (8.1 km²) Wildlife Management Area that protects wildlife habitats for such species as mountain lion, black-tailed deer, western rattlesnake
Western rattlesnake
Western rattlesnake* Crotalus oreganus, a venomous pitviper species found in North America in the western United States, parts of British Columbia and northwestern Mexico....
, raccoon, skunk, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
and golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
.
See also
- List of lakes in the San Francisco Bay Area
- List of reservoirs and dams in California
- List of largest reservoirs of California
External links
- US Bureau of Reclamation Lake Berryessa Website
- Lake Berryessa Fishing
- UC Davis page on the history of the valley - information, images, and construction information about the Lake Berryessa glory holeSpillwayA spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
.