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The Lake Berryessa News
July 14, 2025
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A Lake Berryessa Midsummer Night’s Dream
(With Apologies to William Shakespeare)
By Peter Kilkus
I had a memory the other day of tubing and jet skiing on Lake Berryessa with friends and family. For a break we’d drift in to the Big Island Lagoon at 5 mph to float quietly with the other folks on patio boats, houseboats, or even some in kayaks. It was a quiet, safe place to float or even to put your deck chair on a sand bar and kick back in six inches of water while kids splashed around you. Later it was time for prime rib or pizza at the Steele Park Boathouse Restaurant savoring one of the most beautiful views on the lake.
But then I had a nightmare that a Dark Force swept down on Lake Berryessa and destroyed our homes and resorts, tearing up launch ramps, demolishing restaurants, eliminating access to the lake for years – even denying entry to the Big Island Lagoon to everyone except some phantom kayakers who never showed up.
But then, this being mid-summer, I had a comforting Midsummer Night’s Dream. I saw myself sitting at a beautiful floating marina restaurant and bar, sipping a margarita, with my trusty low-emissions, quiet, environmentally-friendly jet ski at my side. Happy families were once again drifting slowly into the Big Island Lagoon for a rest stop. New resorts were providing launching and pleasant new facilities to visitors from all over the Bay Area. Just before I woke up I was once again looking out at that fantastic Steele Park view, but now it was from a brand new restaurant at the Camp Margaritaville Resort!
A Shakespearean tragedy is defined as a dramatic work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, often involving a heroic struggle, especially as a consequence of an admirable but flawed character or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.
This describes decades of struggle between the Bureau of Reclamation on one side and previous resort owners in cooperation with Task Fore 7 at Lake Berryessa, mobile home owners, local businesses and residents on the other. Reclamation won that struggle and the tragic results are obvious.
A Shakespearean comedy is defined as a dramatic work that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone with a happy or cheerful ending in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstances, resulting in a successful conclusion.
This hopefully describes the present Lake Berryessa Revitalization Program being managed by Napa County for rebuilding Lake Berryessa to a superior state of recreational elegance. But that won’t happen without strong management and the support of all parties involved. Unfortunately, there will always be some obstacles to overcome, even in a comedy with a happy ending. The important thing is the happy ending!
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Lake Berryessa Statistics (7/14/25)
The Lake Berryessa water level is at 435.1 feet, 4.9 feet below Glory Hole.
Lake capacity is at 94%
Surface temperature is at nice 80 degrees from the surface to 10 feet down.
The new rainfall year started on July 1 at 0 inches.
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Hanlon's Razor
In philosophy, a razor is a principle or rule of thumb that allows one to eliminate (shave off) unlikely explanations for a phenomenon, or avoid unnecessary actions. Most people are familiar with Occam's Razor. Occam's razor, or the principle of parsimony, tells us that the simplest, most elegant explanation is usually the one closest to the truth.
Hanlon's razor is a philosophical razor stating, "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." It suggests that when considering the reasons behind someone's actions, one should prioritize incompetence, ignorance, or accident over deliberate malevolent intent.
While Occam's razor focuses on simplicity in general, Hanlon's razor specifically targets the assumption of malice.
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This Bud’s for you (and from you), Lake Berryessa!
By Peter Kilkus
Lake Berryessa Means Clean Water
Unfortunately, during the controversial Bureau of Reclamation Visitor Services Plan process, which led to the present multi-year shutdown of Lake Berryessa, it appears that some folks consciously tried (and still do try) to promote the concept that the resorts had polluted the lake.
The Big Lie: "The Lake Berryessa resorts, especially the mobile homes in the resorts, discouraged the general public from accessing the lake, prevented the public from using the best parts of the shoreline, and also polluted the lake."
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?
They were so successful, with the help of local elitist, psuedo-environmental exclusionist groups, local media, and others that people would call the Bureau of Reclamation headquarters at Lake Berryessa and ask if it were safe for their children to swim in the lake!
Despite "The Big Lie" still parroted by opponents to the Lake Berryessa Revitalization Program, now managed by Napa County, Lake Berryessa has always been the cleanest lake in California. That's why the Budweiser plant in Fairfield only uses Lake Berryessa water in its brewing process. Anheuser Busch wrote a letter during that period supporting their long-standing scientific analysis that Lake Berryessa water was pure - contradicting the pollution story.
Scientific data from other sources, including local water agencies and the Lake Berryessa Watershed Partnership also corroborated this assessment. There has never been any documented evidence – ever – that Lake Berryessa water purity has been compromised.
Reliable water is rare in California and one of the most important elements in many manufacturing, food processing and biotechnology companies. When Anheuser-Busch was looking for a West Coast home for its Budweiser distilling vats, it tested the water in Solano County and stipulated that it would move to Fairfield if the city could guarantee to provide only Lake Berryessa water. Decades later, the Fairfield brewery uses more than 1,500 acre-feet of Lake Berryessa water per year to brew more than 4 million barrels of beer annually.
From a 2001 Sanitary Survey, "Generally speaking, untreated (raw) Lake Berryessa water meets primary and secondary public health drinking water standards (F. Morris, Lake Berryessa/Solano Project Watershed Sanitary Survey 2001 Update)." Translation: If you swallow Lake Berryessa water while your swimming or boating, you won't get sick.
I attended a meeting of all the Solano County water quality managers a few years ago who again confirmed the fact that Lake Berryessa water meets all drinking water quality standards. There had been an alert after the Markley Cove when 23 boats and jet skis burned and sank, releasing gasoline and oil into Markley Cove. Measuring stations downstream of Monticello Dam sampled the water from the lake for several months during which no contamination from the fire was found in the water.
One reason is the old saying, "The solution to pollution is dilution." Another is the fact that most components of gasoline and motor oil are "volatile organic compounds" which means those components evaporate into the air and do not dissolve into the water. That's why the rainbow oil slick you see if you spill a little gas in the water soon evaporates into the air.
Much good work has been done to protect the lake water quality over the decades by various organizations such as the Lake Berryessa Watershed Partnership (LBWP) of which the Lake Berryessa News has been a member and supporter.
They originally focused on preventing oil and gasoline spills from the thousands of boats using the lake. Recently they have transitioned to the Lake Berryessa Boater Outreach (LBBO) Program responsible for preventing the introduction of invasive mussels into the lake as well as continuing their educational efforts to prevent oil and gasoline contamination. Visitors may have seen the interns inspecting boats at the various launch ramps, including their Bilgee the Bilge Pad mascot.
Recently the City of Fairfield released its annual water quality report which once again proves that Lake Berryssa is not now, nor ever has been, a source of water pollution.
"The City of Fairfield proudly announces the release of its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, providing transparency on the quality of your tap water. Our water meets or exceeds all State Water Resources Control Board and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Where Your Water Comes From: Lake Berryessa and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Our water is treated at the Waterman and North Bay Regional water treatment plants, ensuring it is safe and clean for you and your family."
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Affordable Housing in Napa County?
In another excellent analysis, Tim Carl in Napa Valley Features (The Lake Berryessa News is a subscriber.) examined the region's economic slowdown in "Under the Hood: More Signs Napa's Economy Is Stalling."
He outlined three key shifts - weakening real estate returns, flatlining job growth and declining consumer resilience - that suggest a structural, not cyclical, downturn. Carl reported that Napa's home prices now far exceed local earnings, job creation in hospitality has stalled below pre-pandemic projections and visitor spending in tasting rooms is falling. He argued that relying on tourism and speculative real estate is no longer sustainable, urging a pivot toward stable, well-paying jobs to secure the region's future.
Editors note: Napa County seems to have missed the opportunity to attract high tech industries that Marin County and Sonoma County both excelled at recruiting. That's one reason that American Canyon is considered the "bedroom community" (workforce housing) for Marin and Sonoma County businesses.
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Coming Soon:
1149 Rimrock Drive
4 Bedroom 2.5 Bath, Lake View
Stunning outdoor spaces
$630,000
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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)
Berryessa Highlands (Somewhere in the Berryessa Highlands)
Berryessa Highlands - KCANAPA20
https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KCANAPA20
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