in 1957 by the Bureau of
Reclamation as the principal
feature of the Solano Project.
The primary purpose of the
dam was to provide irrigation
and drinking water, flood
control, and recreational
opportunities. The dam is 9
miles west of Winters, on
Putah Creek, near the
boundary between Napa and
Solano Counties.
The Monticello Dam spans the
width of Devil’s Gap in the
Berryessa Valley bringing
irrigation water and flood
control to the residents of
Yolo and Solano Counties. Lake
Berryessa is the man-made
reservoir formed behind
Monticello Dam. It collects
runoff water from a 576
square-mile watershed
including upper Putah Creek,
Pope Creek and Eticuera Creek.
The lake provides drinking
water to approximately
500,000 people and irrigation
water to farms in Solano
County and seven resorts
around the lake. The Bureau
of Reclamation office also
draws water for a small amount
of public drinking water.
Background
Soils
Testing
Quality Projects
Concerns
Opportunities
to oversee the recreational development of federally owned land around Lake Berryessa. Due to
limited resources, and because the majority of recreational users were from outside the county,
Napa County relied on concessionaires to run the recreational services and facilities around the
lake. Lake Berryessa became open for recreational activities in 1959 in accordance with a Public
Use Plan (PUP). Seven resorts were developed under formal concession agreements on 1,700
acres of land and water.
As time progressed, instead of concentrating on public campgrounds and day use areas for the
general public, the concessionaires developed mobile home parks which occupied prime access
areas to the exclusion of the general recreational public. The more desirable shoreline areas were
taken over by trailers in a crowded trailer park like setting. These parks provided the
concessionaires with a steady income instead of relying strictly on a variable tourism season
income each year.
The original Public Use Plan was not followed and mobile home sites were developed on steep
hillsides and placed close together creating massive road cuts and surface erosion. Because of the
high density trailers packed so closely together, the majority of the parks are inaccessible to
emergency vehicles and fire trucks. The current public areas are overcrowded by general public
day users. Picnicking, camping, and boat launching by anyone other than trailer owners is
severely limited.
In 1974, Napa County informed the Bureau of Reclamation that they were withdrawing from the
management agreement. In 1975 Congress passed PL 93-493, which authorized the Bureau of
Reclamation to assume management of Lake Berryessa. The Bureau of Reclamation felt that the
visiting public would enjoy more short-term day use facilities such as campsites, swimming and
picnic areas, and boat launches. As such, the Bureau constructed the public use facilities of Oak
Shores, Smittle Creek and Capell Cove. However, these areas quickly became overcrowded by
day users.
In June of 2000, the Bureau of Reclamation began a draft Visitor Service Plan to determine
services and facilities necessary at the lake after the current concessionaire contracts, which have
been in place for over 40 years, expire in 2008 and 2009. It was determined that the
concessionaire contracts would not be renewed upon expiration as they were not in the best
interest of the general public.
The Bureau of Reclamation began a draft of a Visitor Service Plan to determine necessary services
and facility at the lake after the current, 40-year contracts expire. Of the four options being
considered, it is anticipated that a hybrid of all four options will be selected for implementation in
2005. For more information on the Visitor Service Plan and the four options, visit the Bureau of
Reclamation Web Site at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/berryessa/.
