A minor local spot of interest here is the spillway for the Lake Berryessa reservoir. Unlike most spillways, this one drains from the top on the interior of the lake. It is called a "Morning Glory" or "Glory Hole" spillway. From time to time, the lake level gets above that spillway, sometimes far above, and it creates something that looks completely wrong, like a hole in the fabric of space time. So we went up to photograph it.
I can't help but wonder whether a fall into such a could be survivable. Assuming the fall itself wasn't fatal,
I guess the pipe would narrow to the point where there is no air gap, and the ride would be sufficiently long to ensure drowning.
All in all a fairly low chance of this becoming an adventure tourism attraction in the near future.
FYI there is a similar spillway at a dam here in Auckland
https://www.google.com/search?q=huia+dam+spillway+photos&oq=huia+dam+spillway+pho&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33l3.10838j0j7&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgdii=txvNq6GfOWnjRM:&imgrc=qxGsZqEG3hV5ZM:
Sadly, a woman did get too close 20 years ago. You are not supposed to swim anywhere in that area, but... She died. I don't think you would drown, I think the pressure and violence would be more than enough. Somebody posted video of a duck going in 2 days ago -- you would think the duck at least would fly away approaching the edge. It's not like birds don't know about waterfalls.
None of the other glory hole spillways seem to look like a hole in space-time. They either have concrete structures above them, or don't seem to get a high enough water level to hide the concrete from view
Comments
Russell de silva
Fri, 2019-03-08 13:17
Permalink
Survivable?
I can't help but wonder whether a fall into such a could be survivable. Assuming the fall itself wasn't fatal,
I guess the pipe would narrow to the point where there is no air gap, and the ride would be sufficiently long to ensure drowning.
All in all a fairly low chance of this becoming an adventure tourism attraction in the near future.
FYI there is a similar spillway at a dam here in Auckland
https://www.google.com/search?q=huia+dam+spillway+photos&oq=huia+dam+spillway+pho&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j33l3.10838j0j7&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgdii=txvNq6GfOWnjRM:&imgrc=qxGsZqEG3hV5ZM:
brad
Fri, 2019-03-08 13:42
Permalink
Survive
Sadly, a woman did get too close 20 years ago. You are not supposed to swim anywhere in that area, but... She died. I don't think you would drown, I think the pressure and violence would be more than enough. Somebody posted video of a duck going in 2 days ago -- you would think the duck at least would fly away approaching the edge. It's not like birds don't know about waterfalls.
None of the other glory hole spillways seem to look like a hole in space-time. They either have concrete structures above them, or don't seem to get a high enough water level to hide the concrete from view
Add new comment