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The Lake Berryessa News
January 5, 2026
Rain keeps falling, and Lake Berryessa keeps rising.
The hills are saturated so the lake is rising at a rate of about 7 inches for every 1 inch of rain.
Theory of the Rainbow
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Lake Berryessa Statistics (1/5/26)
Glory Hole Watch 2026 is making its mark.
Rainfall at Monticello Dam has brought the season rainfall total to 16.14 inches.
Lake Berryessa water level has risen to 434.1 feet, 5.9 feet below Glory Hole.
The lake output is running at a relatively low average of 70 cfs (cubic feet per second), 138 Acre Feet per day, or 50,677 Acre-Feet per year.
When full (Glory Hole level) the lake contains 1,551,292 Acre-Feet of water.
Lake capacity is at 1,428,310 Acre-Feet or 92.9%
Water temperatures are 55 degrees at the surface and an average 54 degrees from 5 feet to 70 feet and down to the bottom.
The attached photo of Glory Hole is from 2025 at the same level it is today. If anyone has a recent photo of Glory Hole please post it or email it to pkilkus@gmail.com
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January Headlines
Trump Eloquently Wins Over Democrats With Calm And Truthful New Year Message Of Kindness
Both Things Can Be True, Says Man Lying Twice
Bloated Nation Struggling To Work Way Through Leftovers
Trump Assures Struggling Nation He Has Plenty Of Money
‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens
Study Finds Processed Meats Carcinogenic But They Were On Sale
Grandma Who Survived Great Depression Casually Drops That She Once Killed Man For Mayonnaise
Northern California Family Informed Their Insurance Policy Voided Once House Gets Wet
Horrified Taylor Swift Realizes Football Happens Every Year
News Happening Faster Than Man Can Generate Uninformed Opinions on Social Media
Report: Every Place On Earth Has Wrong Amount Of Water
Nation’s Therapists Refuse To See You Anymore Because You Scare Them
God To Delete Several Million Humans Due To Inactivity
Finance Whiz Has More Than $300 In Bank Account
12-Year-Old Spends Entire Family Hiking Trip Fantasizing About Which Video Game He’ll Play When He Gets Home
Introverted Cowboy Struggling To Round Up Posse
Wealthy Dad Surprises Child With Tree House He Can Airbnb For Passive Income
In A Familiar Repeat Of History, Americas Citizens Plan To Break Away From The King And Create Their Own New Government
Breaking Report: Arbitrary Economic Marker Crosses Arbitrary Milestone
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January Horoscopes
Aries (3/21-4/19): Life throws us all crazy things now and then. Like swords made of ham. And dogs on skateboards.
Taurus (4/20-5/20): Everything you think about yourself will not be called into question this week. Many of your problems can be solved by sitting down with a pen and paper and doodling pictures of houses and perhaps tornadoes.
Gemini (5/21 – 6/21): When in danger, you have a tendency to run away quickly. Harness that ability today as you'll need it sometime around 4pm.
Cancer (6/22-7/22): Whilst bad things can happen in quick succession, it takes an absolute genius to screw up an entire life within 30 minutes.
Leo (7/23-8/22): The randomness of the universe may affect you today as you search for meaning in a cornflake that looks like your nose.
Virgo (8/23-9/22): People older than you often ask your opinion because you are a trend setter and a marvelous role model for society in general.
Libra (9/23-10/22): Any satisfaction you had about not having a police record, may be undone today.
Scorpio (10/23-11/21): When asked to perform in a successful jazz band, consider all your options before accepting.
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Today might be the day when you get stuck in a hole with a dwarf. Remember all the research you did into dwarf habits in order to prevent mental breakdown.
Capricorn (12/22-1/19): Most of your ideas will turn out to be excellent ones today. Avoid having too many ideas, otherwise you may fall from your vaunted station.
Aquarius (1/20-2/18): The number of times you walk into a door will today cause you to seek out new ways of thinking.
Pisces (2/19-3/20): Screaming loudly only serves to wake the neighbors. They'll only investigate once they're sure you're dead and the murderer has left the crime scene.
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Jet Skis Rock: A Video History of Jet Ski Racing
by Peter Kilkus
When does history actually become HISTORY?
Jet Skis Rock You Tube List Final (12/3/25)
Full Jet Skis Rock Playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0Bt3jedg7wO7FVqZnOyzZE2x3Tb1cgLP
Jet Skis Rock 1, Introduction
https://youtu.be/j_nLtRl_fzc
Jet Skis Rock 2, The Beginning, Peter & Evan's First Race (2001)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGGDPRLkDVM
Jet Skis Rock 3, Jet Ski & Snowmobile Ramp Jumps
https://youtu.be/DMbDUj77-CI
Jet Skis Rock 4, Ocean Wave Jumps (2002)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf_koAH_E48
Jet Skis Rock 5, Racing Action
https://youtu.be/8uLa6hhHPBk
Jet Skis Rock 6, Crash & Rescue
https://youtu.be/VurSqs5B0CU
Jet Skis Rock 7, Jet Ski Crashes & Jumps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiL_5gpd8yg
Jet Skis Rock 8, Jet Ski Extreme Racing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwPiYa84fiY
Jet Skis Rock 9, Nashville Watercross Nationals (2002)
https://youtu.be/RHT1Gjb7LWk
Jet Skis Rock 10, Indoor Racing Paris Bercy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC--vCcm7K0
Jet Skis Rock 10-1: First Indoor Paris Bercy Jet Ski Races, (July 4, 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzciJV5hKH0&t=242s
Jet Skis Rock 11, Pahrump Las Vegas (2003)
https://youtu.be/bAncbEZPEZk
Jet Skis Rock 12, Argyll Park, CA (2004)
https://youtu.be/cTcAo5ZK7H8
Jet Skis Rock 13, Escape from Alcatraz Event (2004)
https://youtu.be/IyrE58c7WdE
Jet Skis Rock 14, Western States Cup Promo (2005)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5-yCyqiN5U
Jet Skis Rock 15, Western States Cup (2005)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCNEZcbU02s
Jet Skis Rock 16, Lake Havasu World Finals (2001)
https://youtu.be/xQBCDaRM-rk
Jet Skis Rock 17, Evan Wins, Awards & Family (2003)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG4Ynyx2G2Q
Jet Skis Rock 18, Lake Havasu World Finals (2003)
Jet Skis Rock 19, Lake Havasu World Finals (2004)
https://youtu.be/Onom_vN6tXk
Jet Skis Rock 20, Lake Havasu 2006, Race, Freestyle, People
https://youtu.be/XdVnTcaZ6dM
Jet Skis Rock 21, Freestyle Example - Lee Stone
https://youtu.be/u9zd2o7bpEE
Jet Skis Rock 21-1, Jet Ski Freestyle, Havasu World Finals 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YEYQuWo7-Y
Jet Skis Rock 21-2, Jet Ski Freestyle, Havasu World Finals 2022, Lee Stone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s_q9SEE65U
Jet Skis Rock 22, Nedra Atwood, #1 Fan Interview
https://youtu.be/tVrRGTH2Bi8
Jet Skis Rock 22-1, World Finals 2017 - Nedra Atwood Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNlAdqhsJPk&t=8s
Jet Skis Rock 22-2, Nedra's Song - A tribute to PWC's #1 fan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjFoG-hqksc
Jet Skis Rock 23, Hot Water- the Movie (2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EV9EuOEr6c
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Track the real-time Lake Berryessa weather at:
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1
Berryessa Pines
KCANAPA461
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA461
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Lake Berryessa Fire Watch Cameras
This site covers the whole Lake Berryessa Region.
http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/
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Free Book Chapters Available For Download
My sincere thanks to those of you who contributed to the future of the Lake Berryessa News. I challenge you to find any Lake Berryessa news anywhere. Hopefully, the many years of our intensive reporting about the latest Lake Berryessa issues will convince you of the truth of our motto, "Without The Lake Berryessa News there would be no Lake Berryessa news".
Here's a gift from The Lake Berryessa News to my readers - Free downloadable chapters from my books:
The Death of a Valley
Why Does Lake Berryessa Exist?
The Lake Berryessa Watershed
Rainfall and Lake Level History
How High Is Lake Berryessa?
How Deep is Lake Berryessa?
How Much Water Does Lake Berryessa Hold?
Mean Sea Level: Is There Such A Thing As Accurate Height?
Water In, Water Out, But From Where?
Does the WALROS Like Lake Berryessa?
Why is Lake Berryessa Not a Part of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument?
East Side Story
Hiking and Wildlife Viewing
Are There Quail on Quail Ridge?
Why Does A Hiker Cross The Road? To Get To Stebbins Cold Canyon!
Private Houseboats - Yes; Private RVs & Trailers - No: Why?
Motorized Boats Banned From Big Island Lagoon! Why!
Archeologists Can't Dunk But Can Dig
What Can't You Do At Lake Berryessa?
Napa Opposes Building the Monticello Dam
Monticello Dam Construction
Raise Monticello Dam
Power Generation at Monticello Dam
Monticello Dam Failure Analysis
Predicting the Future & Glory Hole Drone Videos
As Lake Berryessa Turns!
The Ins and Outs & Ups and Downs of Lake Berryessa
Does Lake Berryessa Sweat in the Summer?
Glory Hole Introduction
How Does Glory Hole Work?
Glory Hole: Awesome, Frightening, But Dangerous?
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Lake Berryessa Political History (Free Downloads of Book Chapters)
Policy And Politics Betray The People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020, By Peter Kilkus
I. The Five Tragedies Of The Berryessa Valley: A History Of Heartbreak
II. Lake Berryessa Political History Timeline
III. The “Big Lie”: How It All Began
IV. The “Big Fail”: Napa Abandons Lake Berryessa (1975)
V. The “Big Picture”: Lake Berryessa Issues: 1957 - 2012
VI. The “Big Illusion”: Notice Of Intent
VII. The “Big Fight”: Facts Do Matter
VIII. The “Big Betrayal”: Perversion Of Public Law 96-375
IX. The “Big Mistake”: Pensus - The Beginning Was The End!
X. The “Big Hole In History”: Post-Pensus Blues
XI. The “Big Boondoggle”: Creation Of A Phony National Monument
Addendum 1. Dueling Napa Register Letters To The Editor
Addendum 2. The Napa Register View
Index Of Primary Documents
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Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource
https://www.amazon.com/Lake-Berryessa-Technical-Manual-Engineering-ebook/dp/B0C21DZ9M9/ref=sr_1_3?
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Policy and Politics Betray the People: The Lake Berryessa Saga: 1958 - 2020
https://www.amazon.com/Policy-Politics-Betray-People-Berryessa-ebook/dp/B08MFSQDBR/ref=sr_1_1?
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Conspiracy Theory or Automatic Pilot: The Economic Roots of Environmental Destruction
https://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Theory-Automatic-Pilot-Environmental/dp/1676368302/ref=sr_1_3?
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The KPIX Eye on the Bay interview below is one I did in 2010 and a relevant introduction to the substance of the book. I did it after Pensus had been given the contract for 5 resorts. As we all know Pensus was subsequently kicked out in 2012.
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Lake Berryessa Data Sources
There are many sources of Lake Berryessa water and weather conditions available. The Solano County Water Agency site is good for real-time graphs of level, capacity, and water temperature. The California Data Exchange Center has data going back decades for level, capacity, capacity change, dam outflow, dam inflow, and rainfall. Anyone can research their own data and create custom charts. This is the source of many of the charts on the Lake Berryessa News website.
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An upgraded wildfire alert camera system will be keeping watch on Napa County day and night and notifying Cal Fire crews of potential fires. Twenty cameras will be part of a system that will use artificial intelligence and other technologies to identify fire and smoke. If they detect something, an alert will sound in the Cal Fire emergency command center near St. Helena.
Cal Fire has made a large investment into the ALERTCalifornia system, partnering with UC San Diego. There are 1,000 cameras across the state and Napa County is one of the test models. Cameras can see 60 miles during the day, and this can increase to 120 miles on clear nights, with the changes in the air. The system can differentiate among smoke, clouds and dust. A link to this camera system and other relevant weather data is available on the Lake Berryessa News website at: http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/
This website was created by Doug Kunst. It is an amazing resource for Lake Berryessa fire cameras and weather. His business website is http://www.rntl.net/
Lake Berryessa Fire Alert Cameras
http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/
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Real-Time Lake Level, Lake Capacity, Water Temperature
Solano County Water Agency
https://www.scwamonitoring.com/LakeBerryessa/
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Lake Detailed Historical Data
California Data Exchange Center
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/
Research historical data and create custom plots
Lake Berryessa Code: BER
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/dynamicapp/sensorplots?staid=ber&dur_code=D
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Local Weather Stations (Weather Underground Network)
Skiers Cove (Below the Berryessa Highlands)
Skier Cove - KCANAPA228
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA228
East Side Road (Across from Big Island)
East Side Road, Lake Berryessa - KCALAKEB2
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCALAKEB2
Spanish Flat (Near the Spanish Flat Recreation Area)
Roger - KCASPANI1
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCASPANI1