" Nobody ever brings up the question of how these reserviors are going to support the unregulated development that has occurred over the past 20 years. "

" I hope people realize how much more dangerous it is to jump off the rock and the bridge! "

" Markley Cove may be doing OK financially because they are one of the few places left where you can launch or rent a boat. However the Lake Berryessa Chamber of Commerce has been collecting data from many local business and they are reporting a loss of income compared to last year of at least 30 to 60%. The BOR's delay in completing the contract negotiations with Pensus is having a disastrous effect on many peoples lives and businesses. "

" Since when is any development unregulated in this state? The permit process for everything is incredibly long. "

" This should be no surprise and it is going to get a lot worse according to the experts. Once again, I urge readers and elected officials to check out two websites about the water crisis the State of California;
http://calwatercrisis.org/
http://deltavision.ca.gov/

The State Delta Vision Task Force has said that the current rate of residential development poses a serious threat to the Delta system. The Delta itself is in serious disrepair and neglect and there is no funded plan to repair it.

The other State water sources, Lake Folsom, Lake Oroville, Lake Shasta, and others are all dangerously low, (some are at the lowest point in recorded history). Berryessa is just the canary in the coal mine, but maybe it will get our local elected officials' attention.

So, we have a State task force telling us that current residential growth is threatening our water system and that it may not be able to provide adequate water supplies to new populations. On the other hand, we have a state law and public policy that says local jurisdictions must continually zone for more and more residential each year, (the "regional housing allocations).

So the message from our glorious State of California is, "we probably can't provide water for significant future populations and we have no plan to enable us to, but, what the heck, let's just build, build, build...BRING US MORE PEOPLE.

I say it is time to tell ABAG that we cannot accept their artificial housing allocations. We need to adopt ordinances that require new develpment to either provide it's own water or significantly offset its water usage by some mitigation. "

" danmonez wrote on Oct 17, 2008 10:04 AM: "We need to adopt ordinances that require new develpment to either provide it's own water or significantly offset its water usage by some mitigation. "

I agree whole heartedly. "

" Let's thank the federal government for not renewing the leases on the resorts that were already there and giving lake resort concessionaire contracts to contract "winner" Pensus Group.
Now we've had to see all those former resort concessionaires leave along with our jobs. All the money people usually spend up at the lake was not there this year I personally made only half of what I made last summer this summer due to the resort closures.
This was just poor planning and timing on the feds part. With the economy going downhill they should have rethought their decision rearding who they were going to give the new contract to. They didn't even compensate any of the former concessionsaires for there improvements. Just told them to get out and take everything with you. The gov't lost a bunch of money itself this summer because the didn't get any commissions from the closed resorts. Which is normally 3% of all gross sales from the resorts. The gave contract to Pensus, a group with big money out of AZ. Actually the group is made up of British people with ties to big comanies in AZ. Not even an American based company. Personally I think Mike Thompson is behind this and his pockets are probably lined with silk. Thanks Mike. Now Pensus isn't sure if they want to invest their money here if the feds can just tell them in 25 years, sorry you didn't win the new contract. Take all you new improvements and get out. So let's not worry about the lake water level let's worry about the low economy level induced by the fed gov't. "

" I completely agree agree with you Yikes. And above that, I have a hard time finding any truth to what Pete Lucero says. He has let down the people and has allowed this nonsense to continue on. I still have a hard time believing that the Pensus Group hasn't signed. Is there no time limit to when the contract must be signed. This is purely ridiculous. Time to move on to the next bidder. "

" “Yikes” is correct and I would suggest that others do some simple research and find previous comments from Mr. Pedro Lucero regarding just how close the contract negotiations have been since May 2008.

In the meantime at Lake Berryessa the overall tax revenue loss, job loss and loss of personal property by former Concessionaries and Long Term users exceeds $150M in a time when the federal government is scrambling to cover the bad loan programs they came up with.

The Bureau of Reclamation is FAILURE as are the people that manage the Mid-Pacific Office. The 2006 Record of Decision related to Lake Berryessa is a complete failure and Reclamation is far too incompetent to admit or even work out some solutions.

I respectfully request that the NVR do some real in depth journalism and expose the many misconceptions that Reclamation has provided the public and the former Concessionaires.

Reclamation has cost Napa County more than simple local & federal tax revenue. The devastation of a $25 a year recreation industry where families used to enjoy Lake Berryessa has been destroyed.

Mr. Pedro Lucero is just one of the fish that swim in the BOR pool of misconception and shells. Check others such as Messrs, Frank Michney, Michael Finnegan and Kirk Rogers the parties that approved the infamous CCAO Record of Decision on June 2, 2006.

The Lake Berryessa saga has many layers including Mr. Mike Thompson as was noted above.

Dan, thank you "

" More empty words from the man who has mastered how to stay employed while delivering nothing and not be held accountable for anything. And what happened to those expanded amenities at Oak Shores and Camp Berryessa that were to be offered in lieu of the closures? We were told on June 10 that BOR were ‘confident’ they could strike a deal with Pensus ‘soon’ and hoped to have a contract in place by July 13. Oops. Four months later and we’re still hearing the same drivel. However, because he consistently missed each published negotiation milestone, he now simply refuses to provide any. Brilliant! In fact, I think he just dusts off the last pubic statement about negotiations and restates it. It is blatantly apparent that these guys are do not have the skill set and are incapable of negotiating a contract with the likes of a professional development company armed with a team of attorneys such as Pensus Group. And in the meantime, all access to closed resort land and shoreline is CLOSED. So much for the ‘minimal disruption’ Mr. Lucero also promised. Although the existing concessionaires were assured that they would be reimbursed fairly for value of existing infrastructure, they were subsequently told they must tear out everything cuz Pensus doesn’t want to pay for it. Flat out STEALING with the BOR’s permission. Your tax dollars hard at work. Fire the bunch of them and start over. "