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...more