The Lake Berryessa News
October 26, 2026
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I visited my doctor, an ENT, last week and noticed a photo on her wall. It reminded me of when our parents told us not to stick anything in our ears that was smaller than our elbow. I call this the "Our Cute Q-Tip Kid."
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Lake Berryessa Statistics, 10/26/26
Lake Berryessa water level has now dropped to 427.6 feet - 12.4 feet below Glory Hole.
The lake output has dropped rapidly to an average 200 cubic feet per second or 396 Acre-Feet per Day due to decreased irrigation needs.
The lake holds 1,551,292 when full (flowing over the lip of Glory Hole).
Lake capacity is now at 1,326,727 Acre-Feet or 85.5%.
The surface water temperature continues to slowly drop. It is now at 69 degrees from the
surface to 40 feet down.
Rainfall officially hit .14" at Markley Cove.
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Out & About Around Lake Berryessa with Evan & Justin on October 17, 2026
Riding uphill on their electric mountain bikes made it a lot easier to get to the top of Berryessa Vista, a seldom visited Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) park.to get some great panoramic shots of the lake - also of the high tech cell tower up there.
Then onto Justin's boat at Pleasure Cove for a photo of their new huge new covered dock and a tour of the lake which produced some nice shots, including happy fishing families.
Finally to Steele Canyon Campground for manager Rocky Costanzo's 3rd Annual Trailer &Treat event. Rocky will move the many skeletons up to his house on Rimrock for Halloween.
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Glory Hole Watch 2027 Officially Begins!
The internationally famous Glory Hole Watch started ten years ago in 2017. The lake was still in an eleven year drought which had started in January 2026. The water level was down more than 40 feet to 395.8 feet, 44.2 feet below Glory Hole, in December, 2015. But an amazing series of storms caused the lake to rise 45 feet in a few months hitting 443.6 feet on 2/21/17.
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The rise was documented in a series of beautiful drone videos by Evan Kilkus for The Lake Berryessa News. The Lake Berryessa News website hits rose to more than 2,000 per day for weeks from around the world. These videos, one which got 62 million views worldwide, are available on The Lake Berryessa News website at:
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
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https://youtu.be/PRWAfVw9DBU
2/10/17: Lake Berryessa Is Almost Full
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https://youtu.be/8pIPsgLFggk
2/12/17: Lake Berryessa Splashes Over Glory Hole -With a Little Help
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https://youtu.be/EH0LQW7iduY
2/12/17: Breathtakingly Beautiful Drone Tour of Lake Berryessa
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https://youtu.be/cB0BKIm1EzM
2/16/17: Lake Berryessa Is Full &Splashing Over the Spillway
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https://youtu.be/uQp0QConILY
2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
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Original ACDC version of:
2/18/17: Lake Berryessa Is Spilling 1 Foot Over Glory Hole
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https://youtu.be/-iHAjOrrU4k
2/21/17: Lake Berryessa is 3.5' OVER the Glory Hole Spillway (62 million views)
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This year, in two days, Wednesday, 10/21/26 & Thursday, 10/22/26, the official Lake Berryessa rainfall measured at Markley Cove totaled .49 inches - not bad for the first rain of the season. The lake level actually rose .4 inches, back up to 427.72 inches - as it was on 10/19/26. Typically the lake does not see any runoff until at least 2-3 inches of rain saturates the watershed and produces measurable runoff.
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The Lake Berryessa News opposes Napa Measure B.
BUT
The Lake Berryessa News strongly supports wildfire prevention and mitigation!
Conclusion: Napa County needs a Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Measure on the 2027 ballot.
Napa County Measure "W", 2027
Strictly managed by the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation.
https://napafirewise.org/
Supported by dedicated citizen Fire Safe Councils.
https://napafirewise.org/why-fire-safe-councils/
No confusion or conflation with the Napa Regional Park and Open Space District.
No confusion or conflation with the Napa Land Trust.
Just plain, old wildfire focus!
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Fire safety: Individual Propery Owners Must Take Responsibility
In last week's issue discussing fire protection and taxes, (No on Measure B), I criticized some social media comments that I believed missed the point about wildfire protection and individual property owners' responsibilities. George Bachich responded with a thoughtful letter with which I mostly agree. I have a small house on 60 acres above the Berryessa Highlands and have twice been threatened by wildfires. During the first fire, the Berryessa Highland was saved by the massive air response by CalFire water aircraft. During the second fire the Berryssa Highlands suffered massive damage from which it has not yet recovered. That tragedy was due to the lack of enough available firefighting water tanker aircraft because of the other fires burning simultaneously in California.
I do believe that our government does have a duty to require that property owners make their places as fire safe as possible to protect themselves and their neighbors. But I also think that giving property owners some modest financial assistance in doing so, such as the Napa County Fire Department Chipping Program which provides free residential brush chipping to help property owners create defensible space and reduce wildfire risk.
I was reminded of the Lightning Complex Fire which devastated Napa County several years ago when I saw lighting in the sky last week past Berryessa Peak at 6 AM before our first rain of the season. I recall the skies above Lake Berryessa that fateful fire night continuously flashing brightly. The bad fire news came quickly after that.
The LNU Lightning Complex fires were a large complex of wildfires that burned during the 2020 California wildfire season across much of the Wine Country area of Northern California – Lake, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, and Yolo Counties, from August 17 to October 2, 2020. The complex was composed of numerous lightning-sparked fires, most of which were small. While they ignited separately from each other, the Hennessey Fire eventually grew to merge with the Gamble, Green, Markley, Spanish, and Morgan fires, scorching 192,000 acres by itself, for a total burn area of 363,220 acres in the complex.
Because of the forethought and diligence of my son, Evan, our house and property were protected by two 5,000 gallon water tanks, an underground water distribution system, and a dozen strategically placed outdoor industrial strength sprinklers, with smaller sprinklers installed around our roof. All grass and brush has been cleared beyond a 100 feet from our house. It was expensive and a lot of hard work, but you can see it in the video - also our timing was good. He also made a video about the fight to save our house which I published on YouTube. Please watch it to see what it feels like to be surrounded by the Hennessy Fire before it combined with the other fires into the Lightning Complex Fire
One thing to note and understand is that no matter how many new parks the Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) buys, nor how much "protected" open space the Napa Land Trust acquires, none of it would have made any difference in the outcome of this, or any, wildfire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5rui1RBBIM
Also see the video of the recent Steele Fire near the Berryessa Highlands at:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1138193298408805
We definitely need more helicopters!
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Peter,
Two of the quotes on your list of quotes indicating their writers/speakers might not be good neighbors got my attention. For instance, “The people that live in those areas should be taking care of their own property." is a statement that I completely agree with. I live up to that expectation, and I think that makes me a good neighbor. I have taken care of reducing fire hazard on my 12 acre parcel as well as about 3 more acres along my driveway easement through several other parcels without any government assistance since long before there was a Firewise, and I think other property owners should do the same.
I would go so far as to say that if people don’t (or can’t) take care of their property, then they probably should not own it, and that they should have to absorb whatever consequences might arise from their neglect. However, I realize that not everyone is a good enough neighbor (or may not have sufficient resources) to take proper care of their property, thus putting the rest of us at risk through their neglect. It is a shame that for our own defense we need something like your Measure W to protect us from the consequences of the neglect of those neighbors. In an ideal world, we would all take care of our own property for our own good and for the good of the neighborhood.
Another quote with which I can agree (with one condition) is, "I’m not in a fire prone area and do not want to support your choice of residence." People like me choosing to live in a fire prone area should be taking care of ourselves. If some of our neighbors don’t want (or can’t afford) to do their part, and if we want to remedy their neglect (or their poverty) for our own protection, then we should bear the cost of that protection and not foist it off onto unwilling far away taxpayers.
That being said, we also have to remember that wildfires do fairly often burn through cities, and once they start a neighborhood on fire, each house ignites the next until the entire neighborhood is gone. People thinking they don’t live in a fire prone area might be deceiving themselves. Nevertheless, I think they should have the choice, at least collectively, neighborhood by neighborhood or city by city, whether or not to participate, as long as they are willing to bear the consequences in case the fire does come their way (that is the condition under which I can agree with the statement).
George Bachich
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No On Measure B Factsheet
(Update 10/15/26)
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With apologies to Chubby Checker:
Let's Wine Whine again like we did last summer
Let's Wine Whine again like we did last year
Do you remember when things were really hummin'?
Yeah, let's Wine Whine again, Whinin' time is here
For several years, The Lake Berryessa News has followed Tim Carl's reporting on the Napa Wine Industry in Napa Valley Features. I personally don't drink much wine, nor do I care about "wine culture". Many of the folks I know, especially the younger people, don't either. My hierarchy of choice is Manhattan, Margarita, Gin & Tonic, Butter Chardonnay, Pina Colada, Mojito...
But I do care about Napa County. Tim has been writing in-depth analyses of Napa wine issues for a few years. An introduction to the latest article is copied below. But what about California and the rest of the country? In a non-scientific approach, I just asked the Google AI to review the situation. Below is that response.
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The Downturn We Reported and the Shocks We Didn't See Coming
by Tim Carl
https://napavalleyfocus.substack.com/
https://napavalleyfocus.substack.com/p/under-the-hood-the-downturn-we-reported
For three years this column has reported the same finding: Napa’s wine economy was not passing through a cycle it would exit on its own but through a structural reset it would have to clear. The data pointed away from recovery and toward clearing — the slow work of grinding through excess supply, excess capacity and assumptions built for a demand environment that no longer exists — and we reported it that way. What has changed in the second half of 2026 is not the data’s direction. It is the visibility.
The contraction that earlier showed up in models and forward scenarios has moved into plain view — in shipment data, in tasting-room receipts, in the decisions of the valley’s largest operators and now, in the one measure that turns last, the count of active winery licenses. It is also arriving faster than the demand decline alone would explain because a second set of pressures has landed on top of it. Those pressures did not begin in wine, and most of them the earlier reporting did not anticipate. Together, they have removed the slack that might have slowed the descent.
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Google AI Question: Wine Economics in the USA
The U.S. wine industry generates a massive economic impact of over $323 billion annually, though it faces ongoing volume declines and shifting consumer habits. The American wine industry accounts for a $323.55 billion economic output across all 50 states and D.C. The sector supports roughly 1.75 million jobs total (including direct, supplier, and induced roles) and provides $102.14 billion in aggregate wages.
Vineyard and winery visits total roughly 74 million tourist trips a year, injecting billions into local hospitality and generating over $46 billion in total business taxes. California dominates domestic production, accounting for roughly 85% of U.S. volume and tens of billions in economic activity, followed by strong regional markets in Washington, New York, Oregon, and Texas.
The U.S. market is experiencing consecutive annual volume drops driven by younger generations consuming less alcohol and rolling control-state data pointing to further retraction. Unlike standard agriculture where higher crop yields boost profit, viticulture often follows an inverse rule—restricting vine yields concentrates flavor for luxury tier pricing, whereas over-producing dilutes quality and collapses the per-ton price. Wineries face rising operational costs and intense competition from foreign imports (which make up roughly a third of all wine consumed in the U.S.), forcing thousands of acres of wine grapes to be pulled out in major regions like Central California.
Google AI Question: Wine Economics in California
California's wine industry generates roughly $73.0 billion in annual state economic activity and produces about 80% to 81% of all wine in the United States. Generates $170.5 billion in total annual economic activity nationwide and $73.0 billion directly within California. Supports 1.1 million jobs across the U.S., including roughly 422,000 jobs within California. Contributes $25.9 billion in annual wages inside the state and yields $7.9 billion in state, local, and federal taxes. Spans over 500,000 vineyard acres across nearly 50 California counties with thousands of active winery facilities. Global and domestic wine consumption has dropped from post-pandemic peaks (such as the 2021 high) as younger consumers drink less alcohol and shift toward alternatives like ready-to-drink cocktails or cannabis.
High production costs in the U.S. make it difficult to clear excess inventory, compounded by cheap bulk wine imports from overseas competitors. International trade friction and retaliatory tariffs have significantly squeezed foreign shipments, forcing some local growers to let crops wither or repurpose vineyard land entirely.
Google AI Question: Wine Economics in Napa, California
Napa Valley's wine economy is undergoing a structural market reset in 2026, marked by falling grape values, lower tourism volume, and rising compliance costs.
Grape values fell to $968.7 million in 2025.
Tasting-room median orders dropped to $266.
Shipment volumes declined by 8%.
Average bottle prices rose to $99.97.
Active winery licenses peaked and began falling.
Regulatory compliance costs reach $1,745 per acre.
Water and sustainability fees increased significantly.
Supply, energy, and labor inflation squeezed margins.
Younger demographics show lower overall alcohol consumption.
Wineries add non-wine events and entertainment.
Operators prune portfolios and cut production capacity.
Vineyards reduce acreage to match lower buyer demand.
Venues experiment with complimentary or discounted tastings.
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Five Lake 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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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