News Release Archive

Reclamation Announces Late-Summer/Fall 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: September 03, 2013

http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/berryessa/index.html

NAPA, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation’s Central California Area Office announces the late-summer and fall 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 or Recreation Planner 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.

C.A.S.T for Kids Foundation, Kids Fishing Event
Saturday, Sept. 14, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Pleasure Cove Marina
Reclamation, in partnership with Pleasure Cove Marina, is hosting the fifth annual C.A.S.T. (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids Fishing Event. The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation provides children with disabilities or disadvantages an opportunity to experience the sport of fishing. The children will be partnered with anglers for a morning on beautiful Lake Berryessa. Reclamation is looking for boaters, volunteers and children to participate in this great event. To volunteer or to register a child, please contact Jason Jordan at 707-966-2111 ext. 143 or jgjordan@usbr.gov.

California Coastal Clean Up Day
Saturday, September 21, 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Pope Creek Bridge Parking Lot & Markley Cove Area
Join Reclamation, the Solano Resource Conservation District and partners for this annual lake and shoreline clean up event. Volunteers will clean up the shoreline of Lake Berryessa as part of the state-wide clean up event. Since the program began in 1985, over 800,000 Californians have removed more than 15 million pounds of debris from our state’s shorelines and coast. To volunteer, please contact Jason Jordan at 707-966-2111 ext. 143 or jgjordan@usbr.gov.

Nature Hike – Fall Foray
Saturday, October 5 and Saturday November 16, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Smittle Creek Day Use Parking Lot
Join a ranger for a leisurely hike on the Smittle Creek Trail along the western shoreline of the lake. Enjoy an autumn day exploring California’s unique Blue Oak woodland and the tranquility of Lake Berryessa. Meet at the south end of the Smittle Creek Day Use Area parking lot, off of Knoxville-Berryessa Road. Vehicles can be shuttled to the trail end point at Coyote Knolls within the Oak Shores Day Use Area. Hikers can stay with the ranger for the entire 2.6 mile, 4-hour hike or leave early if they choose. Bring a lunch to enjoy on the hike. For details/directions, please contact Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111 ext. 112 or mmcgraw@usbr.gov.

 

National Public Lands Day
Saturday, October 19, 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Pope Creek Bridge Parking Lot
Help restore Lake Berryessa’s native landscape at this restoration event. Volunteers will plant native plants and trees as part of an ongoing restoration effort. To volunteer, please contact Jason Jordan at 707-966-2111 ext. 143 or jgjordan@usbr.gov.

Night Walk – Halloween at Berryessa
Saturday, October 26, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Meet at the Smittle Creek Day Use Parking Lot
Join a ranger for an evening walk and discover “what goes bump in the night.” Learn about bats, owls and other nocturnal critters that call Lake Berryessa home, and experience the night time world using all your senses. Meet at the south end of the Smittle Creek Day Use Area parking lot, off of Knoxville-Berryessa Road. Bring a snack to enjoy on the hike. For details/directions, please contact Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111 ext. 112 or  mmcgraw@usbr.gov.

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 State 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 may be available to conduct pre-site classroom visits. For details on this free program, please contact Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111, ext. 112 or mmcgraw@usbr.gov.

Paddle with a Park Ranger (paddling tours are listed below)
Experience Lake Berryessa from a unique perspective during these ranger-led paddling tours. Each tour offers a different experience as they launch from various areas around the lake. Events occur rain or shine, but high winds could cause an event to be cancelled. Paddling outings are open to experienced swimmers with a kayak, canoe or other non-motorized boat. Coast Guard-approved life jackets will be available, but boats will not typically be available for rent. Participants should bring their boat, life jacket, paddle, sunscreen, hat, water, clothing layers depending on the weather, and a lunch/snack. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited.

Water and Wildlife
Saturday, September 7, 9 a.m. to noon
Meet at Pope Creek Parking Lot
Enjoy paddling the Pope Creek arm of the lake, learning about local history and spotting birds and other wildlife. Boats must be carried down a short, somewhat steep, path to the shoreline. Note: parking may be limited. For details/directions, please contact Todd Eggert at 707-966-2111 ext. 111 or reggert@usbr.gov.

Full Moon Friday
Friday, October 18, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Meet at Capell Cove Launch Ramp
Explore Capell Creek and enjoy the full moon on this nighttime paddle. Learn about animal adaptations to navigate in the dark. Note: bring flashlights and extra warm layers. For details/directions, please contact Todd Eggert at 707-966-2111 ext. 111 or reggert@usbr.gov.

Water and Wildlife
Saturday, November 2, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Meet at Foxtail Flat in the Oak Shores Day Use Area
Enjoy the last guided paddle for the year. Weather will be cooling down, allowing for wildlife sightings along Big and Small Islands. For details/directions, please contact Todd Eggert at 707-966-2111 ext. 111 or reggert@usbr.gov.

Interpretive programs and events at Lake Berryessa tie into President 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, vibrant outdoor legacy for generations to come.

Ranger-led hikes and activities at Lake Berryessa also support the Department of the Interior’s Let’s Move Outside initiative (http://www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside) which was created to encourage children and their families to enjoy outdoor activities, which abound in every city, town and community. Where better for the public to appreciate and enjoy the great outdoors than at a Reclamation facility like Lake Berryessa?

Individuals who would like to participate in a program and need accommodation should contact Park Ranger Mike McGraw at 707-966-2111 ext. 112 or mmcgraw@usbr.gov at least 14 days in advance of the activity. For additional information, please contact Park Ranger McGraw, or call the Park Ranger office at 707-966-2111 ext. 113, or visit the Lake Berryessa website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/berryessa/index.html.

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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:

http://americasgreatoutdoors.gov/

http://www.letsmove.gov/lets-move-outside