Glory, be! Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole is spilling over

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 / 15 Caption Close Glory, be! Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole is spilling over 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

Lake Berryessa's Glory Hole is spilling over for the first time in 10 years.

The reservoir two hours north of San Francisco reached full capacity and an elevation level of 440 feet Friday at 6 a.m., and began spilling, according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spokesperson Janet Sierzputowski.

The unique spillway operates similarly to a bathtub drain, but in this case the drain isn't at the bottom of the tub and is instead located near the top.

When the lake swells, water falls into the mouth of the eight-foot-wide pipe that dumps excess water 200 feet into Putah Creek.

The lake level was at 439.8 feet Thursday at 9 a.m. and continued to rise when a storm brought more rain to Northern California.

"It's gratifying to see it flow, now how high will it go?" said Peter Kilkus of the Lake Berryessa News. This raises our spirits for the future of the Lake Berryessa community and the re-opening of the resorts - which is the really big story."

Lake Berryessa is one of many California reservoirs that suffered from low levels during the recent drought and that has been replenished during this storm-filled rainy season. The lake was formed by the Monticello Dam and is a source of water and hydroelectricity for the North Bay Area.