Why does the California black hole happen?
Like the Bermuda Triangle or Loch Ness, California’s Glory Hole is one of those places shrouded in mystery in our world. Something that makes this area a tourist destination for all types of travellers.
When it comes to travel, some people look for places famous for their monuments. Others prefer perfect places to practice their favorite sport, while others are more into gastronomic pleasures or getting lost in nature. Therefore, it is not strange that some people prefer to look for destinations surrounded by mystery.
Among these places is the California Glory Hole. An area recognizable by the hole in the water of Lake Berryessa, which is a considerable rarity. As much as to draw the attention of hundreds of travelers eager to see this strange phenomenon. However, before you get your travel bags out of the closet (you can find some shopping options here), there are a couple of things you should know about this place.
What is the Glory Hole?
To understand the appeal of this area, it is necessary to really know what the Glory Hole consists of. This appears in the waters of the Monticello Dam, located on Lake Berryessa. It is located north of San Francisco, in the United States. For a long time, this area was an agricultural region well known for offering some of the most fertile soil in the region. However, everything changed in the 1950s, when the city of Monticello and the rest of the adjoining land were evicted to build a large dam.
Obviously, this construction meant expelling thousands of people living in the area. Something that gave rise to certain speculations regarding the presence of sinister forces hidden at the bottom of the lake. Because, after all, what would a story of this type be without its paranormal touch.
However, the explanation for this phenomenon is much more mundane than the story of its construction purports to tell. And it is that the Hole of Glory is nothing more than a drain of the dam . So the legend that speaks of strange forces and other stories is dismantled at the moment.
The operation of the drain
Generally, the main objective of dams and reservoirs is to store water for human consumption, to generate electricity or to support agricultural work. However, these dams are also very useful as a regulation element. Let us think that, if intense and sudden rains occur in a region, the amount of rain that falls can wash away towns and cities.
The solution, in these cases, is to use these reservoirs as water regulation elements. The objective is to accumulate excess water that may fall during heavy rains and release it safely later, through flows that do not cause damage to the environment. This is precisely the objective of the Monticello dam.
It is true that the drainage process of this dam is not the usual one, since the most classic systems are the spillways at the top of the dam, which, like the drainage of a sink, drop the excess as soon as it exceeds a certain height. However, this dam works by pressure and is activated when the water column exceeds 134 meters above the ground. Once activated, the system safely evacuates around 1.3 million liters of water per second, the equivalent of about 1,300 cubic meters, the monthly consumption of about 200 homes.
The result is the appearance of a hole within the surface of the water that is very similar to the one that appears in any basin or sink when we fill it with water and remove the stopper. However, it is obvious that the size of this hole is much larger, given the size of the dam.
the black legend
Although we have already dismantled the myth behind the Glory Hole, it is accompanied by a black legend, fed mainly by falsehoods. Among them is the death of a woman who swam in the lake and who, they say, was sucked into the hole. Although there have been some accidents of this type, they are usually caused by drunk tourists, who decide to swim in a complex area with a lot of alcohol in their bodies.
There is also talk of the presence of human remains on the surface of the lake . Something that happened very punctually. However, the explanation remains simple. One of the elements that was covered by the waters was the cemetery of the old Monticello. His remains were never removed, despite promises from the authorities. So it is not unreasonable to think that the movement of the waters can bring these to the surface.
What to see in the region
Since the visit to the black hole in California can be somewhat watered down when knowing the reality, we do not want to close this article without taking a look at the environment and what you can see in the area. This lake is located in the Napa area , one of the most famous wine regions in the United States. So if you are one of those who enjoy oenology, you have a lot to see and enjoy in this area.
On the other hand, from the lake to San Francisco it is only a couple of hours by car, so if you make a trip through the region, this place can be an interesting stop on your route. Above all, if you enjoy nature, which is also present throughout the environment.
