Lake Berryessa Ranger Programs

Written by: Jennifer Onufer

Monticello Dam and Lake Berryessa, California.In June 2016, Bureau of Reclamation Park Rangers welcomed 395 visitors ranging in age from young children to senior citizens to beautiful Lake Berryessa, located in Napa County, California.

Most of the visitors joined the Rangers for “Meet a Park Ranger at Monticello Dam!” on Saturdays from 12-3 p.m. Participants learned about the Berryessa Valley prior to the construction of Monticello Dam on Putah Creek in 1957 and how the filling of Lake Berryessa changed the valley and formed Reclamation’s Solano Project.

They also learned that the Solano Project provides flood-control protection for the city of Winters and other downstream communities and delivers high-quality water for irrigation use and for the cities of Vacaville, Suisun City, Vallejo and Fairfield. Many of the visitors asked the Rangers for help in planning future trips to the lake where numerous recreation opportunities are offered, including camping, boating, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, picnicking and swimming.

In June, Lake Berryessa Park Rangers kicked-off a series of Ranger programs held at the Oak Shores Day Use Area every Sunday at 1 p.m. The first program, “Reptile Ramble,” came complete with a rattlesnake sighting for the fortunate families who happened to have excellent timing! If the rattler in the attached photo looks a little sluggish, you have to forgive him: he’d just finished swallowing a small ground squirrel.

Park Rangers will continue to present programs at Monticello Dam and the Oak Shores Day Use Area on weekends through Labor Day. Upcoming topics at Oak Shores will include introductions to bats and birds as well as water safety and CPR. For details on Ranger programs, please contact the Lake Berryessa Park Ranger Office at 707-966-2111 ext. 113.

Published on July 14, 2016