Natural Resources Management
Reclamation regularly monitors many environmental factors including water quality, wildlife populations, aquatic populations, and carrying capacity. Some of this research is carried out in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Game and other local agencies.
- Water Quality – We monitor monthly for fecal coliform and E. coli, water temperature, turbidity, and PH.
- Wildlife – Reclamation partners with the California Department of Fish and Game to monitor and count osprey, bald eagle, black tailed deer, and various fish populations for size, health, and reproduction activity.
In January 2007, quagga mussels were discovered in Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu. This is the first time zebra or quagga mussels have been discovered west of the Rocky Mountains. Zebra and quagga mussels have already invaded much of the Eastern U.S.
Fortunately, Lake Berryessa is free of zebra and quagga mussels. It depends on you…and all of us…to keep it this way.
Zebra and quagga mussels can be spread by your boat, but they cannot live out of the water for long periods of time. Simply washing boats and equipment and allowing it to fully dry is an effective way to reduce the risk of spreading these aquatic hitchhikers.
Zebra and quagga mussels and other harmful plants and animals may be hiding under your trim tabs, in your engine, or even on our anchor chain. Zebra and quagga mussels are microscopic in their earliest life stages, making them impossible to detect with a visual inspection.
Zebra and quagga mussels have the potential to:
- Disrupt the food chain and fishing
- Foul facilities like docks and ramps
- Encrust boats and clog engines
- Litter beaches with sharp smelly shells.
It is suggested, when visiting Lake Berryessa, a self-inspection of boats and trailers be conducted prior to launching into Lake Berryessa. To acquire additional information on the self-inspection process please contact Lake Berryessa, Natural Resources Specialist at 707-966-2111 ext. 103.
- News Releases include:
- Form - Mussel Free Certification
For more information about quagga and zebra mussels please visit the Department of Fish and Game Website at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/quaggamussel/ or contact the Lake Berryessa, Natural Resources Specialist at 707-966-2111 ext. 103.
Lake Berryessa offers a variety of habitats that support a wide variety of flora and fauna. Not all of these species are native to this area, having been brought in by settlers, farmers, recreational visitors, and even by wildlife. These non-native species, or exotics, often have some positive effects for humans, but may have detrimental effects on native species survival. Native plants and animals have not been exposed to these sometimes fast growing and highly adaptable exotics, and often cannot compete for food, water, and other resources to survive. One example is the exotic wild oat grass, which out-competes the native bunch grasses by spreading out and taking in water more effectively than the natives, which endangers their survival in this region. You may also see wild hogs in the area, which were accidentally introduced when they escaped from domestic farms, and purposefully introduced by some property owners for game hunting. They have a beneficial effect for these 
human uses, but cause extensive ground disturbance and out-compete some native species for food and habitat as they root up large areas searching for food.
Reclamation strives to keep exotic species under control around Lake Berryessa and participates in region-wide planning and management groups to keep exotic species from invading this area. Some of these efforts include restoration projects such as creating wetland native plant areas; eradication of exotics like arundo and wild pigs; providing protected nesting areas for bald eagles, osprey, and other threatened birds; and increasing public education to help our visitors keep exotics such as the New Zealand mud snail from being introduced here in the first place. Reclamation works to protect and promote a healthy, balanced ecosystem that will be sustainable for many generations to come, and will provide a healthy water system and enjoyable experiences for all Lake Berryessa users.
Putah Creek Watershed
The Upper Putah Creek watershed is about 35 miles in length and 20 miles in width at its widest point. Elevations range from 440 feet (the lake level of Lake Berryessa) to 4722 feet at Cobb Mountain. The watershed's main drainage is into Lake Berryessa. The most visible landmark in the Watershed is Mount St. Helena (in Napa County) which reaches an elevation of 4,344 feet
Putah Creek Discovery Corridor
The mission of the PCDC Partnership is to maintain and improve the Putah Creek Discovery Corridor as a "place for discovery" by spreading information about Putah Creek to increase public awareness and appreciation of this natural resource, build regional identity, and act as a steward for the public interest.
Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area Conservation Partnership
The Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area (BRBNA) Conservation Partnership is a coalition of public resource and land management agencies, non-profit conservation and preservation organizations, and private-sector interests working to conserve more than 500,000 acres of private and public lands located in Napa, Solano, Yolo, Lake and Colusa Counties.
BRBNA includes portions of the Putah and Cache Creek watersheds. It is bounded by Blue Ridge on the east and extends from north of Highway 20 between Williams and Clearlake to just north of Interstate 80 in the south. Straddling the ancient contact between the rocks of the continental and Pacific tectonic plates, the natural area is geologically and ecologically diverse. Its unique assemblage of ecological communities include: serpentine chaparral in all of its varieties, grasslands, oak woodlands, and extensive riparian and cliff habitats.
Birds of Lake Berryessa
Lake Berryessa consists of the 20,000 acre lake as a primary feature and includes an additional 10,000 acres of Federally owned land. Within the Resource Area there are 165 miles of lake shore, seven Reclamation authorized full service concessions (resorts), several day use areas, boat launch facilities, hiking trails, a visitor center and a 2,000 acre wildlife management area managed and administered cooperatively with the California Department of Fish and Game and Reclamation.
The grassy hills dotted with oaks, ceanothus, and manzanita surround long inlets and coves populated by migratory tundra swans, resident Canada geese, mallards, ruddy ducks, and cinnammon teal. American white pelicans, western grebes, and mergansers fish the open water and tributaries along with terns, ospreys, and bald eagles. Watch for spotted sandpipers, green herons, and great blue herons near the shoreline. Nearly 25 species of birds of prey have been sighted including pygmy owls, prairie falcons and golden eagles. The oaks and chaparral attract many migratory and resident birds such as warblers, vireos, bluebirds, wild turkey, roadrunners and woodpeckers. Opportunities to observe eagles are excellent, but please do not disturb these birds and other nesting birds by approaching them closely. Lake Berryessa and the surrounding Reclamation land is not open to hunting under state laws. Rare plants occur at Lake Berryessa and Native American cultural values abound.
The Lake Berryessa Wildlife Area is managed cooperatively by Reclamation and the California Department of Fish and Game as an area to restore, enhance and protect the fish and wildlife resources along the eastside of the lake, by securing the long-term health and viability of habitats and re-establishing links among habitats.
Major management objectives for the Lake Berryessa Wildlife Area include:
- Conserving and enhancing habitat for diverse populations of fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species;
- Enhancing the riparian vegetation habitat along waterways;
- Creating new wetland and restoring upland and oak habitats;
- Protecting Native American values;
- Providing compatible outdoor recreational opportunities, which may include activities such as hiking, fishing and watching wildlife;
- Managing for maximum biological diversity.
Lake Berryessa provides habitat for numerous bird species. Certain birds are only present in summer, others winter in the area, some just migrate through or occur irregularly. The management area is comprised of four major habitat types: Lake and pond areas, Oak Woodland, Foothill Grassland, and Mixed Chaparral with tributary and shoreline areas of riparian and wetland environments. Elevation ranges from over 3,000 feet atop Berryessa Peak to 440 feet at the lake surface. Putah Creek, Pope Creek and Capell Creek are the three main streams feeding Lake Berryessa. Also present are several side drainages that contain permanent water. It is along perennial waterways, with their attendant riparian vegetation, that the greatest number and variety of birds occur.
- Birds Checklist for Berryessa (pdf - 2.2 MB)
Plants of Lake Berryessa
Plant restoration
- Lake Berryessa Plant Species List (pdf - 98 KB)