News Release Archive

Reclamation Announces Spring 2013 Park Events and Ranger Interpretive Programs at Lake Berryessa

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, MP Region Public Affairs Officer, 916-978-5100, plucero@usbr.gov

For Release: February 22, 2013

NAPA, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office announces spring 2013 park events and Park Ranger interpretive programs at Lake Berryessa in Napa County, Calif. All activities will be held rain or shine and are free of charge. Some programs have group-size limitations, so please contact the Park Ranger office regarding availability. Participants should wear sturdy shoes and clothing appropriate for the weather and bring water and sunscreen for daytime activities. Children are welcome, but those under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Landscape Photography Tour
Sunday, March 3, and Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meet at Dufer Point Visitor Center, 5520 Knoxville Road
Join a ranger on a 4-hour tour of choice spots for landscape and nature photography around Lake Berryessa. We’ll start at the visitor center, caravan around the lake and stop at six sites on the west and north end of the lake, including Smittle Creek Day Use Area, Pope Creek area, North End Trail, Eticuera Day Use Area and the East Side Road. We’ll see breathtaking views of the lake and the surrounding oak woodlands. Learn about the plants, animals and history of Lake Berryessa and the surrounding east Napa area. Novice-to-experienced photographers are welcome. Please bring a camera, sack lunch and water. We will walk no more than 2 miles total. For information and directions, please contact Louise Hogerheide at 707-966-2111,
ext. 111 or lhogerheide@usbr.gov.

Nature Hike – Wildflower Wander
Saturday, March 23, and Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Meet at Smittle Creek Day Use Parking Lot
Join a Park Ranger for a leisurely hike on the Smittle Creek Trail along the western shoreline of the lake. Enjoy spring wildflowers and get some fresh air and exercise while learning about the natural and human history of the area on an easy-to-moderate 2.6 mile, one-way guided hike. The trail travels through a shaded Blue Oak woodland, affording hikers scenic views and peaceful surroundings. Meet at the south end of the Smittle Creek Day Use Area parking lot, off of Berryessa-Knoxville Road. Vehicles can be shuttled to the trail end point at Coyote Knolls within the Oak Shores Day Use Area. Hikers may stay with the ranger for the entire 4-hour hike or leave early if they choose. Bring a lunch to enjoy on the lake. For details and directions, please contact Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111, ext. 112 or mmcgraw@usbr.gov.

World Environment Day
Sunday, June 2, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Meet near Markley Cove Resort, past Monticello Dam
Join Reclamation and the Lake Berryessa Watershed Partnership for a fun lakeshore clean up event. Volunteers will walk trails and shoreline helping to clean up trash and debris at the south end of the lake. This is a great opportunity to earn volunteer hours while spending the afternoon in a beautiful outdoor setting! Food and drinks will be provided. To participate, please contact Jason Jordan at 707-966-2111,
ext. 143 or jjordan@usbr.gov. Pre-registration is required for lunch.

Lake Berryessa Water Education Program
Available by Appointment
Oak Shores Day Use Area
The Lake Berryessa Water Education Program is an interdisciplinary learning experience for students in grades 4-6. The program integrates the natural resources of Lake Berryessa with California curriculum standards. Classes join a Park Ranger at the lake to learn about the importance of water in their lives. In addition to the onsite learning experience, a teacher packet is available with logistical information and pre- and post-site activities. Berryessa Rangers are available to conduct pre-site classroom visits. For more details on this free program, please contact Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111, ext. 112 or mmcgraw@usbr.gov.

Displays and Exhibits
Starting on May 18: Weekends 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Weekdays Noon-2 p.m., closed Wednesdays
Lake Berryessa Visitor Center
The Lake Berryessa Visitor Center offers displays and exhibits on the history of Lake Berryessa, the Monticello Valley and the construction of the Solano Project. It also houses an exhibit of local wildlife (stuffed and mounted) showing the common and not-so-common animals found around the lake. Park Rangers are available to answer questions about natural resources, recreational opportunities, wildlife and the area’s history. Brochures, maps, trail guides and other educational information are available free of charge.

Interpretive programs and events at Lake Berryessa tie into President Barack Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative (http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov/) which seeks to empower Americans to share in the responsibility to conserve, restore and provide better access to our lands and waters and leave a healthy and vibrant outdoor legacy for generations to come. Ranger-led hikes and activities also support the Department of the Interior’s Let’s Move Outside initiative (http://www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside) which encourages children and their families to enjoy outdoor activities that abound in every city, town and community. And where better for the public to appreciate and enjoy the great outdoors than at a Reclamation facility like Lake Berryessa?

If you would like to participate in a program and need accommodation, please contact the Lake Berryessa Ranger Department at 707-966-2111 ext. 113 at least 14 days in advance.

Please visit the Lake Berryessa website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/berryessa/index.html for additional information.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

Berryessa