Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole on verge of spilling over for first time in 10 years

Glory, be!

Water is gently splashing into Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole.

The unusual Northern California spillway that operates similarly to a bathtub drain wasn't fully spilling over Thursday morning. But when a boat buzzed across the swollen lake, or a gust of wind blew over, waves send splatters into the mouth of the eight-foot-wide pipe that dumps excess water 200 feet into Putah Creek.

The last time the Glory Hole spilled over was 10 years ago in 2006, and the Bureau of Reclamation thinks it could happen again soon.

"A rough estimate is we expect it might start spilling tomorrow, Friday, or this weekend," said Sarah McBride, a public affairs specialist with the Bureau.

Lake Berryessa at full capacity with the Glory Hole spilling over on Feb. 17, 2017 Lake Berryessa at full capacity with the Glory Hole spilling over on Feb. 17, 2017 Photo: Peter Kilkus Photo: Peter Kilkus Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole on verge of spilling over for first time in 10 years 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

The lake level was at 439.8 feet as of 9 a.m. Thursday and needs to rise about two inches to reach full capacity and kick the Glory Hole into full operation. This will require heavy rain as county officials have been releasing water down the main spillway of the Monticello Dam to create room for future runoff.

"We're waiting breathlessly, but not sure it's going to happen because they're also letting out water from the main spillway," said Peter Kilkus, the editor and publisher of the Lake Berryessa News. "Hopefully, this next batch of rain is what puts it over."

If this happens, the water pouring into the hole will be a sight to see, and Kilkus imagines the Dam Parking Lot, offering the best views of the Glory Hill, will be busy.

"I would say it's a big drain in the lake," said McBride. "It's unusual to see a spillway like that. We have people coming out there. It's definitely a sight to see."