440 Feet
When the water levels in Lake Berryessa reach higher than 440 feet, it’s then that the spillway is put into action. After the crazy drought in California, record rains began to fall. It was cause for celebration in most cases, and of course, was ideal to re-fill the dam. However, as soon as the waters got a little too high, the spillway began to do its duty. High waters began to tip over and into the spillway.
The Measurements
The water is pulled by gravity down the spillway, and makes it way out to the other side of the dam. The hole itself is 72 feet across, and more than 200 feet deep! The goal is to make sure that Lake Berryessa doesn’t overflow, and the spillway is the perfect solution. However, for anyone who has never seen it in action before, the spillway is an incredible sight to see. This is especially true if they don’t know what it is!