Lake Berryessa News

May 10, 2026

Hot weather is here! Time to start planning our summer boat trips!
____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

For those interested in Lake Berryessa history, here's a map of what the Berryessa Highlands was planned to look like in the 70s.

_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

To celebrate my 82nd birthday coming up in July, I got a new shirt to wear at my party! Reminds me of when my kids were 2 years old.

_____________________________________________

Caltrans Silly Safety Signs Sprout!
by Peter Kilkus
Sprout: Verb: To appear suddenly or grow rapidly in number.

 
I'm a "keep your eyes on the road" kind of driver. I pay attention to the yellow lines in the middle of the road and the white lines on the right edge. I judge the state of the road far as I can see. But as I was driving to Napa a couple of weeks ago I noticed that my eyes were annoyingly pulled off the approaching road and drawn to hundreds of distracting bright yellow signs planted along the side of the road at a height above my normal field of view.
 
Even when I could clearly see a half-mile down the road, there was a sign. Too many signs were used to confuse people on simple curves. Most, if not all, the signs were clearly redundant (five arrow signs on a simple and visible curve) and unnecessary. A couple were hidden behind branches. Many other regular commute drivers have also complained. So I sent a formal complaint to Caltrans.
https://csr.dot.ca.gov/index.php/Msrsubmit

Nature of Situation: Too many new warning signs on Hwy 121 (Monticello Road) detracting from driver safety. There were many unnecessary new signs recently installed, almost all of which draw the drivers' eyes away from the road. They are annoying and redundant. Other residents have also complained to me about them.
 
 If you are as annoyed as many of the other local drivers, you can "Submit Customer Service Request" request at:
 
I received the following reply: "Thank you for contacting Caltrans. We value your request for service. Because your concern is a recommendation for alteration to existing infrastructure, your request has been referred to our Traffic Ops Division for review and feasibility; Please know that certain studies, assessments and determinations can take up to 6-months."
 
I also found this little paternalistic gem in the Caltrans manual:
 
"Caltrans warning signs, detailed in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD), notify drivers of unexpected road conditions, hazards, or speed changes requiring caution...Their placement is determined by engineering studies to address hazards that are not immediately obvious to motorists."
 
Here is a sample from Nextdoor of what other drivers think (names not shown for privacy):
 
"Quite a few signs were put in the wrong place to actually help navigate the road. And some actually tell you to turn where there is no turn. Others tell you the road is to go one way, when in reality, it goes the other way. Trust the sign at night and you might go off the road."
 
"It goes way beyond that! They used to put arrows when there was truly a sharp turn. That was fine. Now there’s arrows for a tiny kink in the road. Just like new cars, the more info given to them from a source other than their brain, the dumber the driver gets!!!"
 
"Jesus Christ! I drove to Napa today for the first time in a while. Thank God for the 958 signs telling me to turn left or right since I couldn’t tell from the movement of the road. My personal favorite were the back to back 20 mph, no! 30 mph… No, wait, 20 mph signs. I’m seeing a circular saw in somebody’s future."
 
"I have 3 million miles as a professional motor vehicle operator. These signs are a distraction. They may as well put up spotlights in both directions. I will say they went in really fast."
 
"As someone who drives up and down 121, sometimes twice daily starting at 5 am and coming home at 11pm - they made my commute into town and back an hour each way over an almost 2 week stretch - hard to believe no one saw them going up."
 
"Section 2 and 5. California updated to the 2026 MUTCD rules, to comply with 2023 federal transportation guidelines. That’s where the excessive signage is originating. Government doing silly government things just like always."
 

https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/safety-programs/documents/ca-mutcd/2026/camutcd-2026-all.pdf

 
"I’m thankful for the signs because without them I would have never known which way to go when the road changed!" (satire)
 
"At night they're blinding! Who could possibly agree to such an absurd over use!? I understand it can be a dangerous road, but this overkill is beyond common sense! They have destroyed a beautiful country road drive!  I’m so glad to hear others similar reaction. I think if we could snag the right people who have some power, put them in a car and drive them up and down in the daytime and again at night, they would see what we're all flipping out about. We need help! This is just too intolerable."

__________________________________________________

______________________________________________________
See some beautiful photos of Canyon Creek Resort and the area near the dam:
https://www.canyoncreekresort.com/gallery/

__________________________________________________

____________________________________________

___________________________________________________
Lake Berryessa Revialization Program Update

Readers may have seen a few articles about the situation at Lake Berryessa being reviewed by the Napa Board of Supervisors last week. Actually nothing of substance came out of that meeting since it was a simple discussion of the overall status of the resorts. The articles in the Register and Press Democrat contained several unusual reporting errors (misidentifying Camp Margaritaville Resorts as Margaritaville) or repititions of what has regularly been reported in The Lake Berryessa News.

A neighbor sent me a note say that her daughter had gone to Walmart and there was a guy collecting signatures against development at the lake. If you see someone doing this, let me know, as well as informing them that you support the Lake Berryessa Revitalization Program.

I responded that there have been Lake Berryessa anti-advocates working behind the scenes trying to undermine the Lake Berryessa Revialization Program for a couple of years. They attacked the Camp Margaritaville proposal for the rebuilding of the Steel Canyon Recreation Area at a Supervisors' meeting more than a year ago. At the time I wrote several reports debunking their false claims and their humorous feelings of 'cringeness'."

Definition: Cringy" (or cringey) is an informal adjective describing something that causes acute embarrassment, awkwardness, or discomfort, often making a person feel embarrassed on behalf of someone else. It is synonymous with "cringeworthy" and is frequently used to describe uncomfortable social situations, bad performances, or unnatural behavior.

Brush up on the facts of this situation at:

https://www.lakeberryessanews.com/resources/Lake-Berryessa-Support-Documentation/The-Lake-Berryssa-Revitalization-Program-Explained.pdf

https://www.lakeberryessanews.com/resources/Lake-Berryessa-Support-Documentation/Environmental-Management-at-Lake-Berryessa.pdf

https://www.lakeberryessanews.com/resources/Lake-Berryessa-Support-Documentation/Lake-Berryessa-and-the-Napa-General-Plan.pdf

________________________________________________________

__________________________________________

________________________________________________
May Horoscopes

Aries (3/21-4/19): Endless complaints that your talents are being wasted at work will finally pay off when management decides to promote you to the new position of "Head Whiner."
 
Taurus (4/20-5/20): Continuing a proud, age-old tradition, you will hand down your family's priceless heirlooms to the next generation of Chinatown pawnbrokers this week.
 
Gemini (5/21-6/21): You're prepared to go to any length to get your wife back, which is funny, as finding what remains of her will actually require you to go to any depth.
 
Cancer (6/22-7/22): Can you be held responsible for everything you *don't* do? Who knows. 
 
Leo (7/23-8/22): Cartoon fun can be yours if you pick up the right set of pencils and think really hard about drawing.
 
Virgo (8/23-9/22): Armchair politicians will affect your life today as they rise from their dank pits and begin to conquer the known world.
 
Libra (9/23-10/22): Pants, socks, t-shirts, sweaters. These are all parts of your wardrobe. Remember this.
 
Scorpio (10/23-11/21): The computer you are trying to access has forbidden you entry as it deems your horoscope too scary. 
 
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Flapping your arms like a bird is a good way to call attention to yourself.
 
Capricorn (12/22-1/19): Buying a T-Shirt proclaiming that your bald patch makes you a solar powered sex machine is a good idea.
 
Aquarius (1/20-2/18): Don’t panic—if you can find a baby that looks just like yours, your wife might not notice.
 
Pisces (2/19-3/20): While you aren’t descended from Egyptian royalty, you will soon have the honor of dying in one of their tombs.
__________________________________________

Paul Franson's weekly Napa Valley Life is jam-packed with interesting information about Napa Valley events and out-and abouts. His links to the ubiquitous food truck culture makes my mouth water.

Find the web version at www.napalife.org/7556.html.

Where is what food truck?

It’s very challenging to keep track of the many food trucks in our community, and it’s not just because they have wheels. They change their offerings, disappear for private events and move to different locations. It’s so challenging that I’m happy to see a new website that tracks them.

See www.napafoodtrucks.com.
__________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Glory Hole Watch 2026 has slowed. For historical perspective, watch Evan Kilkus' Lake Berryessa News drone videos of the dramatic rise of Lake Berryessa as it finally spilled over Glory Hole on 2/16/17 after an 11-year drought at:

https://youtu.be/bGJvofIyTwQ   1/11/17: 10"+ of Rain Takes Its Toll, But Lake Berryessa is Rising 
*****
https://youtu.be/PRWAfVw9DBU    2/10/17: Lake Berryessa Is Almost Full
*****
https://youtu.be/8pIPsgLFggk   2/12/17: Lake Berryessa Splashes Over Glory Hole -With a Little Help

*****
https://youtu.be/EH0LQW7iduY  2/12/17: Breathtakingly Beautiful Drone Tour of Lake Berryessa
*****
https://youtu.be/cB0BKIm1EzM 2/16/17: Lake Berryessa Is Full &Splashing Over the Spillway
*****
https://youtu.be/uQp0QConILY 2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
*****
Original ACDC version of: 2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
*****
https://youtu.be/-iHAjOrrU4k 2/21/17: Lake Berryessa is 3.5' OVER the Glory Hole Spillway
*****
https://youtu.be/qhPzR2Gqzs0 2/24/17: Another Breathtaking Drone Tour of a Full Lake Berryessa

____________________________________________________________________

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
 

________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Lake Berryessa Fire Watch Cameras

This site covers the whole Lake Berryessa Region.

http://www.rntl.net/lake-berryessa-cams/

_________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

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:


Lake Berryessa Technical Manual: The Science, Engineering, History, and Humor of a Major Unnatural Resource:

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?

_____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________-

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

_______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________


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?

************
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?
 
************
 
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?


************

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. 

https://youtu.be/nP9K8Ai0Lkc

___________________________________________________________________________________

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.

********
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/

********

 Real-Time Lake Level, Lake Capacity, Water Temperature
 
Solano County Water Agency
 
https://www.scwamonitoring.com/LakeBerryessa/
 
 *********
 
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
 
******
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