The world is full of wonders. And one of them has got to be the mysterious hole in Lake Berryessa in Northern California. One day, a creepy, dark, black hole opened up out of nowhere and no one in the community seemed to know why. While it won’t suck you into the underworld, it does contains a terrifying mystery that will leave you shaken.
There’s a Hole in the Lake
At first glance, the hole in the lake looks like a dimensional portal to an alternate universe. As you can imagine, the mysterious-looking black hole has attracted many curious bystanders over the years. But it turns out that this phenomenon isn’t natural. So who built this thing and why?
This Spillway Defies Logic
Its official name is the Morning Glory Spillway and it is located in Lake Berryessa in Northern California. But to many, the hole seems to defy all logic and scientific explanation. And there’s a deeper mystery behind the hole’s origin.
The Hole Is Like a Massive Toilet
The hole is 22 meters wide and 75 meters long and some say that the water falling through the spillway looks like toilet water as it’s being flushed. It certainly gives boaters and swimmers something to be scared of. But the deep hole is is so much more than just a creepy and mysterious abyss.
The Whirlpool Was the Stuff of Legends
There are dozens of legends of giant whirlpools that open up and suck even the strongest ships towards the horizon and into the hole itself. But were these just myths or was this every boat enthusiast and swimmer’s worst nightmare?
The Hole Had Everyone Questioning Everything They Knew
No one really knew what it was or where it came from. Was the water being transported across time and space? Who was responsible for the hole’s creation? Everyone wanted to know how this strange phenomenon came to be, but one man held the potential clues.
YouTube Star Discovers Massive Hole
YouTube star, Evan Kilkus is best known as Evan K.. He’s also a drone enthusiast who was working outdoors when he first discovered the massive hole in the lake. Little did he know that his world would be turned upside down by the discovery.
The Hole Was Caught on Camera
Kilkus took his drone out to the lake’s surface, which appeared pretty peaceful at first. But a closer look revealed a giant abyss over the water. And what he was about to learn with the help of his drone would change his perspective on everything he thought he knew.
His Discovery Left Locals Speechless
The drone was his favorite tech-toy because it allowed him to photograph impressive sceneries from a bird’s eye view. But he had no idea that his drone would one day capture something that would leave locals speechless.
The Hole Posed a Threat to the Lake
When Kilkus reviewed the photos taken by the drone, he saw what looked like an enormous hole in Lake Berryessa. But it didn’t make sense. How could there be a hole in the lake? Regardless of how it was formed, it seemed to be threatening the water supply.
He Couldn’t Ignore the Vortex
The vortex was unlike anything he had ever seen before. After all, how often do you run into a terrifying hole that could potentially suck you right into it? Unless his camera was lying to him, the hole seemed to be sucking all of the lake’s water into the void. Kilkus couldn’t just turn his back on the strange phenomenon. He decided to investigate even deeper.
He Flew His Drone to the Event Horizon
He flew the drone even closer to the hole to figure out if some disaster had wreaked havoc on the planet. But as the drone flew dangerously close to the event horizon, something baffling occurred to the piece of technology and Kilkus got a strange notification.
There Was a Glitch in the Drone
The drone began to malfunction, which made Kilkus’ heart jump. If he didn’t get the drone back in time, it could fall into the hole and be lost forever. Fortunately, he managed to get it back, but when he checked the drone, he discovered some more shocking clues.
The Drone Didn’t Answer His Questions
The drone was able to get a closer look at the hole before Kilkus forced it to return. But it didn’t provide the answers he needed. And he certainly didn’t want to jump in the hole himself! So, he decided to risk his drone again, one last time.
Everyone Flew Drones Over the Area, Then Police Stepped In
The drone had failed to shed any light on the hole’s origin the second time around. But when word broke out of what Kilkus had discovered, others became intrigued. Soon, everyone was flying drones over the area, but then local authorities blew the lid off the mystery.
Officials Revealed the Truth About the Hole
Officials revealed that the hole was actually a man-made spillway for the lake and Monticello Dam. Whenever water levels rose above 440 feet, water would start spilling down the hole. But where did the hole lead?
The Hole Works Like a Sink Drain
The water spilled down into the Putah Creek, which is hundreds of feet below. The creepy hole works just like the drain of a sink. If water levels get too high, the water spills into the drain to avoid overflow. But how far down does it go?
The Hole Isn’t Very Turbulent
“It’s all curved, so you have the least resistance for the water to go down ‘The Glory Hole,’” Jim Daniels, District Engineer for Solano Irrigation District told ABC 10. “And it’s very efficient. It’s not very turbulent. It’s actually rather placid. It’s not that placid down inside ‘The Glory Hole’ itself.” So, what happens to the water after it falls down the hole?
The Water Has a 200-Foot Drop
The water drops 200 feet straight down into the pipe, which is about 28 feet in diameter at the bottom. Then the pipe takes a 90-degree turn and continues hundreds of feet to the other side of the dam where it spills into the creek and eventually flows to the Yolo Bypass. And there’s a reason boats have nothing to worry about.
The Area is Cordoned Off
The water flow creates a strong current as it gulps the lake water at about 1,360 cubic meters per second. So, the area is cordoned off by a buoy line to keep boaters and swimmers safe. But these safety measures don’t always work as well as they should.
It’s Illegal to Go Near the Spillway
It is reportedly illegal for people to get anyway near the spillway, and there are laws in place that forbid boats from traveling too close to the Monticello Dam. Unfortunately, sometimes a rebellious nature comes with a price.
A Swimmer Had a Close Encounter With the Spillway
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a 41-year-old woman named Emily Shwalek was seen swimming toward the spillway around 6:30 p.m. on a Sunday night in 1997. And that’s when disaster struck.
She Hung Onto the Vortex for Dear Life
According to eyewitnesses, Shwalek had allegedly grabbed onto the edge of the hole and hung on for dear life for about 20 minutes. And then she simply vanished from everyone’s sight. Had she fallen into the vortex?
Shwalek’s Disappearance Was Solved
Shwalek’s body was found approximately three hours after she had disappeared. And fortunately, since then there have been no other cases reported of anyone falling into the hole. Sadly, this horrific event doesn’t stop skaters from putting their lives on the line.
Spillway’s Rim is Visible in the Dry Season
During the dry season the spillway’s stone rim is visible and skateboarding enthusiasts have reportedly used the exit of the spillway as a ramp. But while some would say the spillway is an unnecessary hazard, it would be even more dangerous if it didn’t exist.
The Dam Would Collapse Without the Spillway
A dam’s weirs can collapse when the water levels rise beyond safety limits. But a properly maintained spillway can prevent that from happening and avoid any significant flooding for the communities downstream.