Napa Valley Register – Thompson to try again to change federal oversight of Lake Berryessa

Rep. Mike Thompson will try again to switch federal agencies in charge of managing Lake Berryessa, and again he will have the support of Napa County.

Thompson wants the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, not the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, to manage recreation at the eastern Napa County reservoir. He plans to reintroduce legislation in Congress to make the switch.

The Bureau of Reclamation for several years has tried to renovate the lake's seven resorts. But there have been delays, leaving two resorts at full strength, two in stripped-down versions and three closed. That, in turn, has led to frustration among lake businesses and residents.

"BLM is just the agency best suited to manage the recreation activities at Lake Berryessa," Thompson aide Austin Vevurka said last week.

The Napa County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday. Thompson (D-St. Helena) sought the board's support before reintroducing the bill and received it.

Both the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Land Management are part of the federal Department of the Interior. But, county Supervisor Diane Dillon said on Tuesday, they have different mission statements.

The Bureau of Reclamation statement mentions managing, developing and protecting water and related resources. The Bureau of Land Management statement mentions sustaining public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Under Thompson's vision, the Bureau of Reclamation would continue managing the reservoir's drinking and agricultural water resources and the Bureau of Land Management would manage its recreational services.

Thompson introduced a similar bill in the last session of Congress. The Napa County Board of Supervisors also endorsed that bill.

"The management status quo at Lake Berryessa needs to change," Thompson said at the time. "Lake Berryessa is an important part of our country and we've waited too long for BOR to effectively execute its redevelopment plan."

His bill had 226 co-sponsors, more than the votes needed for House of Representatives approval, but never came up for a vote.

"Timing," Vevurka said, adding Congress adjourned and the bill must be reintroduced.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Reclamation continues its resort renovations efforts. It plans to release a prospectus this spring for concessionaires to run five of the resorts and could award contracts in 2016.

Dillon said she doesn't think a switch of federal agencies would further stall the resort redevelopment effort. She noted that Thompson's bill allows the Bureau of Land Management to build on the work done by the Bureau of Reclamation.

Peter Kilkus is a Berryessa resident and owns The Lake Berryessa News. He opposes a switch from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Bureau of Land Management. Prospective concessionaires bidding on the resort contracts need confidence that they will be dealing with one agency and not another, he said.

"I don't know what benefit they're talking about," Kilkus said. "I see absolutely zero benefits."

Kilkus criticized past Bureau of Reclamation attempts to renovate the resorts, but said the agency is doing a good job with the latest effort.