A Combination of Science, Engineering, and Natural Beauty
The Science and Engineering Elements of a Major Natural Resource
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Full Report Table of Contents
1. As Lake Berryessa Flows: A Combination of Science, Engineering, and Natural Beauty (PDF)
Lake Berryessa is almost a living creature. It breathes in and out, grows and shrinks. But it breathes water not air. Actually it is always breathing out a bit through evaporation and outflows through Monticello Dam all year. All of these processes define its hydrological cycle. (Web Version)
· California Droughts are Common
· Measuring Levels and Rainfall
· But Can Lake Berryessa Flood (Over the Dam)?
· Can Monticello Dam Break?
· Monticello Dam Failure Simulation
· Lake Level vs Acre-Feet of Storage
· Lake Berryessa Hits Full Capacity, But 51,708 Acre-Feet Are Missing!
· Monticello Dam: Tear it down and build it bigger?
· Rainfall Impacts
· Putah Creek Flows: Water In, Water Out, But From Where?
· Power Generation at Monticello Dam
· Predicting the Future
2. As Lake Berryessa Turns! Temperature and Fishing in a Warm, Monomictic Lake (PDF)
The phenomenon called “turnover” is well-known to anglers, but not so much to other lake visitors. Some people think that Lake Berryessa turns in both spring and fall. But scientific data shows that the lake only turns once per year - in the fall. (Web version)
3. The Ins and Outs & Ups and Downs of Lake Berryessa (PDF)
Most of us have heard of the rule of thumb that Lake Berryessa rises 1foot for every 1 inch of rain. As with most rules of thumb, this is not accurate. Lake level rise depends on many variables like the actual lake level when it rains and how saturated is the ground. (Web version)
4. Seeing Underwater at Lake Berryessa (PDF)
In the Spring of 2007 the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) performed a survey of the underwaterlandscape of Lake Berryessa. They wanted to accurately determine the capacity of the lake using the latest technology. (Web version)
5. Could Monticello Dam Fail? (By Margaret Burns, Davis Enterprise, September 5, 2014)
This thought was probably running through the minds of everyone close to the dam following the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated Napa on Aug. 24, 2014. The simple answer is yes, because anything is possible. But is it probable? Not very.