Lake Berryessa, Napa California

[rjm60]

Does anyone have any information on diving at Lake Berryessa in Napa County. This is a resevoir that permits boating, fishing, swimming, etc.

Resevoir filling began in 1957 when the Monticello Dam was completed and by 1963, filling was complete. What is left of the town of Monticello, CA lies at the bottom of the lake along with a stone bridge over Putah Creek in the center of town. Maximum lake depth is around 275 ft but most of it is less than 130 ft deep.

I'm wondering exactly where this town was located. I imagine, it might be close to the Monticello Dam (hence the dam name) but I can't find anything on the internet.

If anyone has info about this, please e-mail me or send a message. Thanks.

 

[markb018]

sounds really cool i would like info as well

 

[reefugee]

I live in Davis and have been wondering if Lake Berryessa might be a good place to do some scuba diving. It does appear to have a lot of boating, but the water is very clear.

Love to hear some feedbacks on good place to dive at Lake Berryessa.

 

[zinmaker]

Napa Dive and Sport does a lake Berryessa cleanup dive every September during national sea shore clean up day. Vis on a good day is about 3 feet, and it drops rapidly when you kick up some silt. They usually close off an area called Party Cove we dive down about 20 or so feet and pick up and bring trash to awaiting kayaks. Mostly we find beer cans and bottles, (even some full of beer) sun glasses, marti gras beads, CD's, and fishing poles. One year they even found a telephone booth. The water temp is usually in the lower 70's with a thermalcline down past 30 feet or so. The town is probably a very unsafe area to dive with the wooden structures rotting and not enough vis to see where you are going or figure out where you are.

 

[Peter_C]

As zinmaker said above visability sucks. We tried to dive there two weeks ago around the corner from Putah Creek in the party cove. Swam out a little dropped down, and dropped then dropped some more, until my buddy couldn't see me, but saw my light and tapped me on the head. We were at 36 feet and called the dive. I could barely see my computer with my light held on it. The silt seems to start at around 20 feet and it did not seem to be getting better. We ascended, then swam towards shore and dropped in again. We tooled around in 20 feet or less of water and could see just fine. Although other than a few fish there wasn't much to see. Collected some junk. Found one cool hat, but wound up loosing it off my head.

Water surface temp as about 80 degrees and made out 7mm suits too warm. Felt good when we hit over 30 feet, but it was brief.

 

[coreypenrose]

I was on a Sheriff's boat which found the ruins of the town on sonar during the last major drought. IIRC, the ruins were in 100+ feet - when the lake was down at least 50-75 feet.

There is a neat bridge underwater over by Capel Cove and an old swimming pool on the other side of the lake – but nothing worth diving, IMO.

Also, in the years I was working up there, vis was never better then 5 feet.

 

[rjm60]

Thanks for the info. Sounds like this one is a pass.

 

[peterthewolf]

Whoa, diving that would be awesome. I'd be interested in knowing also, if the town (pray) is shallower. That'd be a pretty quick glance otherwise!

 

[jon m]

come on!!!
it all depends on when you go! vis in the spring (Feb,Mar Aprl) can be upwards of 30'!!! depending on rain and other conditions. of course in late spring through fall there will plankton blooms that drop vis dramatically.... i fish there all the time and i've SEEN vis at 30'+ feet on the depthfinder. just started diving last year, and i'll be diving it this spring ... i
i'll let you know... i figure if i'm already going fishing, ill throw the tanks on the boat and do a dive in the afternoon when it gets warmer (water temp from 49F to54F at that time of the year)

 

[rjm60]

it all depends on when you go! vis in the spring (Feb,Mar Aprl) can be upwards of 30'!!! depending on rain and other conditions. of course in late spring through fall there will plankton blooms that drop vis dramatically.... i fish there all the time and i've SEEN vis at 30'+ feet on the depthfinder. just started diving last year, and i'll be diving it this spring ... (water temp from 49F to54F at that time of the year)

I had forgotten that I posted this. This puts a different spin on things. I'd like to get some coordinates of the old town site and the stone bridge so I can transpose them onto a map.