California's Lake Berryessa Is Experiencing a Mesmerizing Water Spectacle

It could stay like this for months!

Even though earlier this year California was suffering from severe droughts, Mother Nature isn't one to shy away from change. Case in point: This past month the state has experience punishing rain that's led to flooding, evacuations and even a surprising phenomenon in the center of Lake Berryessa in Napa County.

You see, this body of water features a spillway that's shaped like a funnel and is 72-feet wide. It serves as a drain when lake water rise to more than 440 feet above sea level. So when water reaches these extreme levels, the excess water pours into the funnel and ends up in a creek 700 feet below the lake, instead of flooding nearby roads or homes. The results? A bathroom drain-like phenomenon that's quite a sight to behold.

The spillway was designed to take in around 48,000 cubic feet of water per second, which is the same thing as draining half of an Olympic-sized pool in one second. Crazy, we know. And even though the spillway was designed specifically for this purpose, that doesn't mean it's common. In fact, it hasn't been used in over 10 years.

"Back in October, we were essentially half full," Roland Sanford, general manager of the Solano County Water Agency, told CBS Today. "This is the first time that the lake has been so low, and filled-up and spilled in one year." Clearly, Californians have been experiencing a range of weather. Experts say the spillway could keep flowing for several months.

Watch it in action:

h/t CBS News

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