Lake Berryessa News
July 5, 2026
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Lake Berryessa Statistics (7/5/26)
Lake Berryessa water level continues to drop about a half inch per day as the growing season advances into summer. It now stands at 434.8 feet - 5.2 feet below Glory Hole.
The new rain year for Lake Berryessa began on July 1, 2026. As measured at Monticello Dam by the Solano Irrigation District, the total rainfall was 24.96 inches.
The lake output has risen to an average of 640 cfs (1,269 A-F per day).
Lake capacity is now at 1,455, Acre-Feet or 93.7%.
Water temperature is averaging 78 degrees at the surface and a constant 55 degrees at 70 feet.
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Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Full Text
https://www.lakeberryessanews.com/resources/References-PDFs/4-Amendments-to-the-US-Constitution.pdf
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Wind Blows Down More "Silly Safety Signs" on Hwy 121 (Monticello Road)
If you've been following this Caltrans design fiasco, the wind has struck again at the Moskowite Corners intersection where the new signs were totally unnecessary. Caltrans has yet to make any comment or take action to clean up the mess. Although Hwy 121 is not under Napa County jurisdiction, it might be helpful for the County or Cong. Mike Thompson to make contact with Caltrans to rectify the poor design which appears to have been cobbled together by angry drunk engineers with a grudge against California drivers. You can contact Caltrans yourself at:
Caltrans.d4@dot.ca.gov or phone at 510 286-6173.
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The "Keep on Truckin'" Story Is Not About Truck Drivers!
I first saw the original cartoon shortly after I came to Berkeley in June, 1967. Robert Crumb was already a popular cartoonist. The cartoon, featuring men with exaggerated large feet strutting confidently, was created by underground comix artist Robert Crumb. It debuted in the first issue of Zap Comix in 1968 as a visual play on the 1930s song "Trucking' My Blues Away" by Blind Boy Fuller.
Many years later I met a woman whose husband was a long-haul truck driver. Although she was relatively conservative, as was her husband, they were proud of the Crumb cartoon because they thought it was an ode to truckers. When I pointed out that it was a famous old hippie cartoon, she was offended! (They disliked hippies!)
Cultural appropriation is the adoption of elements from a minority culture by members of a separate, but usually, dominant culture. It is generally considered problematic when these elements are used without respect, understanding, or acknowledgment of their original context. Examples: Traditional Native American headdresses and other regalia as fashion accessories; Non-Black individuals adopting traditionally Black hairstyles, such as dreadlocks or cornrows.
See this link for more cultural appropriation context:
https://ywcaspokane.org/2023-racial-justice-challenge-cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation/
Before its hippie-era fame, the phrase originated in African American vernacular and 1930s blues songs (such as Blind Boy Fuller's music). In this context, it was an expression used to indicate persistence and pushing through a hostile, oppressive society
"Keep on Truckin'" symbolizes cheerful resilience, perseverance, and the determination to keep moving forward despite challenges. It evokes a laid-back, "keep on keeping on" attitude, urging people to stay in the groove and stick to their path regardless of obstacles.
The Crumb image quickly escaped the underground comic scene and became a massive, often-pirated counterculture icon of the hippie era. While Crumb intended the cartoon as a symbol of cheerful, laid-back perseverance, its widespread commercialization on T-shirts, posters, and mudflaps famously annoyed the artist, leading him to battle for his copyrights.
"I became acutely self-conscious about what I was doing. Was I now a "spokesman" for the hippies or what? I had no idea how to handle my new position in society! Take Keep on Truckin' for example. Keep on Truckin' is the curse of my life. This stupid little cartoon caught on hugely. There was a D.J. on the radio in the seventies who would yell out every ten minutes: "And don't forget to KEEP ON TR-R-RUCKIN'!" Boy, was that obnoxious! Big feet equals collective optimism. You're a-walkin' boy! You're movin' on down the line! It's proletarian. It's populist."
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Political "Cultural Appropriation": Trump Stole MAGA From Ronald Reagan
Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that he created the slogan "Make America Great Again" and the MAGA movement.
"The line of ‘Make America Great Again,’ the phrase, that was mine, I came up with it about a year ago, and I kept using it, and everybody’s now using it, they are all loving it.”
Though he did not coin the phrase originally, he claims he coined the slogan at some point in 2014. He once even accused Ted Cruz of ripping him off when the Texas senator used the phrase in his own presidential campaign announcement. But Trump is not the first politician to use the phrase.
Ronald Reagan originated the "Make America Great Again" political slogan during his 1980 presidential campaign. Facing a struggling economy marked by high inflation and unemployment, he and his running mate, George H.W. Bush, used the rallying cry on campaign buttons, posters, and in speeches.
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July 4th Photos from Steele Park Campground and Turtle Rock
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July 4th Horoscopes
Aries (3/21-4/19: Feeding stray cats may seem important to you today in order to get a feeling of overwhelming satisfaction.
Taurus (4/20-5/20): Feel welcome to share your inner most secrets with your entire family and network of friends. They will adore you for your spectacular honesty and may only exclude you from everything they say or do for the next decade.
Gemini (5/21-6/21): They say that knowing is half the battle, but they never tell you what the other half is, which is really frustrating.
Cancer (6/22-7/22): Speaking as a robotic horoscope monster, I can only wish you the best of luck when the revolution comes.
Leo (7/23-8/22): Don’t let fear of embarrassment prevent you from speaking your mind and asking important questions, like “Wait, what happened to acid rain?”
Virgo (8/23-9/22): The stars find that the time has come for you to put away childish things. Yes, that includes your three small children.
Libra (9/23-10/22): You’ll balloon up to triple your weight after several months spent following a diet-book typo that told you to eat 16,000 calories a day.
Scorpio (10/23-11/21): Sometimes the truth can be hard to hear, as you’ll discover this week when doctors attempt to tell you that you’ve gone deaf.
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Despite the writing being on the wall, the bridge, the subway platform, and the abandoned warehouse, you’ll still be surprised to hear about the recent rise of vandalism in your city
Capricorn (12/22-1/19): Ensure your blood stays within your system today by not venturing farther than your refrigerator.
Aquarius (1/20-2/18): Your learning may give you cause to grieve today as you are unable to stop local flooding using trigonometry alone.
Pisces (2/19-3/20): Chew the cud with some friends today. Their inane chatter may amuse you.
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July 4th Headlines
GOP Urges Democrats To Tone Down Rhetoric Used To Quote President Verbatim
Americans Are Asking Their Physicians To Put Them Into A Voluntary Coma Until November 2028
No One At Bar Aware World Cup Game Is Rerun From 2018
Texas GOP Confirms They Will Have All The “Woke Shit” Edited Out Of The Bible By 2030 For Its Use In Schools
Questions Grow Over Mystery Of Missing Legislative Branch
Supreme Court Rules Constitution Constitutional in 8-1 Decision
Nation Begs Frozen Fruit Companies To Keep The Giant Flavorless Blackberries Coming
Squirrel Unaware He Embroiled In Months-Long Feud With Homeowner
Finding No Tourist Visitors To Great American State Fair, NBC Interviews Fox Camera Crew, PBS Interviews ABC Crew, Al Jazeera Interviews NYT Reporter
New League of "Enhanced FIFA Games" Allows Competing Athletes To Use Steroids
Guy Who Goes To Bar Every Day At 10 A.M. Must Be Huge Soccer Fan
Anti-Vaxxer Dating App Gaining Popularity
Prize Hog Drops Out Of Great American State Fair Due To Event’s Political Nature
Grandma Adds New Urn To Husband Collection
Police Suspect Gunman’s Motive Was To Kill Bunch Of People
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Five rLake Berryessa resorts are open.
Spanish Flat Campground: https://campspanishflat.com/
Steele Canyon Campground: https://campsteelecanyon.com/
Pleasure Cove Marina: https://goberryessa.com/
Markley Cove Resort: https://markleycove.com/
Putah Canyon Campground: https://royalelkparkmanagement.com/putah-canyon
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I Just tasted this Cowboy Cabernet when I picked it up yesterday, plus a few egg rolls.
Very flavorful for my 4th of July dinner!
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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