Those of us taking part in “Glory Hole Watch 2024” are waiting with bated breath as the water line at the Lake Berryessa reservoir in the Napa Valley comes closer and closer to spilling into the mouth of a very special pipeline sticking out of the reservoir. Locals and fans call it the “glory hole,” but really it’s a giant spillway installed to drain the reservoir when it gets too full — meanwhile creating the visual effect of a hungry black hole in the surface of the lake. It’s really quite a cosmic scene. And as of Thursday afternoon, the hole is within half a foot of achieving its famous formation, according to Solano County’s water agency. (Lake Berryessa reportedly provides water to a few rural communities in Napa County, but mostly serves the people of Solano to the south.) This spectacle hasn’t occurred for around five years, since 2019. Which is also an indication of a larger trend: The rain gods have been good to us over these past couple winters. “Lake Berryessa is oh-so-close to glory days,” the Napa Valley Register reports. “Water as of Wednesday was within a foot of the morning glory spillway, which is nicknamed the ‘glory hole.’ The 72-foot-diameter concrete funnel sends water to the opposite side of 300-foot-tall Monticello Dam and into Putah Creek, assuring the dam isn’t overtopped. People traditionally throng to eastern Napa County see a sight that last happened in 2019. But, with the lake poised to spill, wintertime storms are petering out. ‘It’s probably going to take a good storm, 2 to 3 inches, to get over the edge and get the ‘glory hole’ spilling,’ Chris Lee, general manager of the Solano County Water Agency, said on Tuesday.” So we’ll see if the next week or two of light, on-and-off rainfall is enough to eke out a win. One could even think of the Lake Berryessa glory hole as our own local version of Punxsutawney Phil: If the hole spilleth in on itself at the advent of spring, this shan’t be a drought year. Fun, right? (Source: Napa Valley Patch & Solano County Water Agency & Napa Valley Focus & Lake Berryessa News via Facebook & Napa Valley Register; paywall)
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