TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Steven Lederer, Director of Public Works
REPORT BY: Leigh Sears, Lake Berryessa Concessions Manager
SUBJECT: 2025 Lake Berryessa Concessions Update
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive update on the status of Lake Berryessa Concessions and the new Mussel Program at Lake Berryessa; and approve and authorize Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 8671B with WhiTim Napa LLC (in conjunction with Camp Margaritaville Resorts). (No Fiscal Impact; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
In 1957, the Federal Bureau of Recreation (BOR) completed the Monticello Dam. The BOR shortly thereafter signed 50 year contracts with several operators to develop resorts around the Lake. Those contracts expired, and the BOR required that all infrastructure related to the then existing resorts by completely removed. The BOR then made several attempts to contract with new operators, but ultimately were not successful. Without the resorts operating, this area’s economy suffered dramatically. To help revitalize the local economy, Napa County volunteered to take over the process of finding concessionaires to redevelop and operate some of the resort areas. Napa County signed a 55-year Managing Partnership Agreement (MPA) with the BOR in 2020, allowing the County to proceed to find concessionaires to develop and operate the sites. The MPA covered a total of 7 sites, 4 of which came under Napa County’s control immediately. The remaining sites could come under the County’s control later. The status of each site is provided below.
Steele Canyon and Proposed Amendment
Napa County is under an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with a local developer (Tim Wilkens) who submitted a comprehensive response to the County’s original RFP in collaboration with Camp Margaritaville. The development team is in the design/environmental phase. Projected groundbreaking is scheduled for 2027. During its investigation of the site, the developer discovered that the site boundaries identified by the BOR in the MPA were incorrect (the site is larger than previously indicated based on the boundaries established when the original resort was developed in the late 1950’s). This caused a 5-month delay while the developer confirmed the correct boundaries with the BOR and adjusted their plans to consider the correct boundaries. The proposed Amendment No. 1 to the ENA will extend the schedule in the ENA by 5 months.
In the meantime, the site remains open. It is operated by a local business owner under an interim contract with Napa County. The site focuses on camping, RV camping and boat launching.
Berryessa Point
Suntex failed to move forward in a timely manner and withdrew from its ENA as of January 26, 2025. This site is currently being considered by a private company for a new marina facility that would include over 300 slips, a fuel station, restaurant and marina office. Projected groundbreaking once an ENA is reached would be projected as 2027. An ENA for Berryessa Point would be presented to the Board for consideration.
Monticello Shores
This site is currently being considered by a joint venture (one international and one national company) that would develop a full-service resort. Projected groundbreaking once an ENA is reached would be projected as 2028-2029. An ENA for Monticello Shores would be presented to the Board for consideration.
Spanish Flat
This site remains open and operating. It is operated by a local business owner under an interim contract with Napa County. The site focuses on dirt camping, RV camping and boat launching. There has been no significant interest in developing the site beyond the current use.
The following are Federal BOR sites that Napa County will have the option to take over management in the future:
Markley Cove: This site is solely a marina with permanent slips for boat docking and facilities for boat launching. Napa County has an option to take over and operate the site in 2031.
Pleasure Cove: This site contains a marina as well as cabins to rent. Napa County has an option to take over and operate the site in 2040.
Putah Canyon: This site focuses on dirt camping and day launching. Napa County has an option to take over and operate the site in 2031.
2025 Mussel Program
As of November 1, 2024, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Solano County Water Agency (SCWA) have implemented a mussel program for Lake Berryessa that will help regulate and deter mussels from invading the lake. This program is very similar to the Lake Tahoe program in that it includes tagging boats upon launch and exit, decontamination and/or 30-day quarantine to help keep the newest invasive golden mussel out of the lake. This new mussel was detected in the Delta in October of 2024 and is found to be very resilient and invasive. Per this new implementation all concessions are having to tag or inspect boats for the necessary protocols (decontamination or quarantine) to launch. Solano County has set up 2 decontamination stations at 2 federally managed sites at the lake at this time. County staff will soon present an ordinance for the Board’s consideration that will assist in enforcement efforts to keep invasive mussels out of Lake Berryessa.
Requested Actions:
Approve and authorize Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 8671B with WhiTim Napa LLC (in conjunction with Camp Margaritaville Resorts).
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The activities contemplated by the Agreement are either not a project subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15060(c)(3) and 15378, or consist of information gathering and investigations categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306.