2019 03-12 The Glory Hole
Lake Berryessa
Gorgeous, bright and sunny skies lured us into the Napa foothills to pay a visit to Lake Barryessa’s Monticello Dam, and its famous “Glory Hole” spillway. This 72-foot wide vertical concrete pipe is a drain hole that prevents the dam from over-flowing. We took advantage of this year’s exceptional rainfall to see the Hole in action. The Dam was built in a narrow gorge just west of Winters, CA. Not only does this gorge funnel the water from the Lake, but also makes a strong wind tunnel. On this date the winds were cold and fierce, creating whitecaps on the lake and making for dramatic photo opps.
From what I read online, the Glory Hole, short for Morning Glory, is a rarely used type of spillway and the largest of its type in the world. The water enters this pipe and falls nearly 300 feet to its 28-foot wide exit at the base of the dam. Lake Berryessa was created in the 1950’s to serve as a reservoir to meet the needs of agricultural and residential users to the east. Putah Creek feeds the Lake and continues to flow as water is released from the Dam.
The Glory Hole is a strange and horrifying beast.
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Read MoreGorgeous, bright and sunny skies lured us into the Napa foothills to pay a visit to Lake Barryessa’s Monticello Dam, and its famous “Glory Hole” spillway. This 72-foot wide vertical concrete pipe is a drain hole that prevents the dam from over-flowing. We took advantage of this year’s exceptional rainfall to see the Hole in action. The Dam was built in a narrow gorge just west of Winters, CA. Not only does this gorge funnel the water from the Lake, but also makes a strong wind tunnel. On this date the winds were cold and fierce, creating whitecaps on the lake and making for dramatic photo opps.
From what I read online, the Glory Hole, short for Morning Glory, is a rarely used type of spillway and the largest of its type in the world. The water enters this pipe and falls nearly 300 feet to its 28-foot wide exit at the base of the dam. Lake Berryessa was created in the 1950’s to serve as a reservoir to meet the needs of agricultural and residential users to the east. Putah Creek feeds the Lake and continues to flow as water is released from the Dam.
The Glory Hole is a strange and horrifying beast.
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