There are many beautiful places to visit but for some people, Napa County in California is an area not to be missed. The green rolling hills and the valleys covered with wildflowers make it one of the most lovely places in all of the United States. It just seems as if there is so much to see and explore in the area, you would never be able to see it all. One of the main attractions, and one that should be seen by anyone who is in the area is Lake Berryessa.
In California, Lake Berryessa is the seventh largest man-made lake. It includes Monticello Dam, which is 304 feet tall and the lake is also home to the ‘Glory Hole’ spillway. It only sits a few yards away from the edge of the dam and at the opening, it measures 72 feet across. As it drops down 200 vertical feet, it narrows to 28 feet across and when it hits the bottom, it bends 90° and eventually drains out into the Putah Creek.
Because of the drought in California, the spillway hasn’t been active and nobody thought that it would be in use for a very long time. When record amounts of rain fell in January and February, however, the water level in the lake went to capacity.
With so much water being added to the lake so quickly, the glory hole was revived on February 16, 2017. You can see the amazing drone footage and what it looks like when thousands of cubic feet of water rushed down into the hole every second. It really is wonderful to see. At one point, the operator of the drone almost got too close and lost it down into the depths. You will never get an opportunity to see it this close, but you can see it in this video:
