California’s Fascinating ‘Glory Hole Spillway’ Is Flowing for First Time in Years
After a series of significant rains in Napa, a man-made lake’s unique drainage system was activated to the delight of onlookers.
Known as the Morning Glory spillway in Napa County’s Lake Berryessa behind the Monticello Dam, a 72-foot-long hole empties the water of the lake down into a creek 200 feet below.
Forming a perfect flow of water in a ring, the spillway looks like a whirlpool at sea, and has visitors flocking to see it in action before the lake falls below 440 feet—the threshold at which the spillway activates.
Installed nearly 70 years ago, the unique “passive spillway” located near the middle of the lake has only been needed 25 times during its existence. A series of atmospheric rivers have passed over Napa recently, and with more forecasted, there’s still the chance to go see it up close from a section of the small road that passes around the lake.
Activated in 2017, and again in 2019, its long dormancy captures well the effects of the droughts California has suffered from over the last few years.
Local residents draw water from the reservoir, meaning that it takes an awful lot of rain for the spillway to become active, as its levels are constantly being depleted.
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LA Times reports that other man-made lakes in California utilize these passive spillways, including Trinity Lake in Trinity County and Whiskeytown Lake in Shasta County.
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