New Melones Lake 
Photo Credit: USBR

September 20, 2023 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Saturday, Sept. 23, the Bureau of Reclamation’s California-Great Basin Region will celebrate the 30th anniversary of National Public Lands Day at New Melones Lake, Lake Berryessa, and Stony Gorge Reservoir by waiving day use fees at all three Reclamation-managed recreation areas.

New Melones will be hosting a cleanup day at Natural Bridges Day Use Area from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Meet at the Natural Bridges trailhead parking area off Parrotts Ferry Road, near Vallecito. No pre-registration is necessary. For questions about the event, hiking conditions, directions, or any needed accommodations, call the New Melones Lake Administration Office at 209-536-9094, ext. 229.

At Lake Berryessa, a cleanup effort is planned with the Solano Resource Conservation District. Volunteers will be cleaning up coastline at Markley Cove and Steel Canyon from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers must register at www.cleanupsolano.org. For more information, call the Lake Berryessa Administration at 707-966-2111, ext. 0 (TTY 800-877-8339).

Volunteers should dress for summer heat, wear sturdy shoes, bring a hat, have snacks, and plenty of water. If available, bring work gloves and a trash grabber. Volunteers do not need to stay for the entire event; any amount of time will be appreciated.

National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands. Established in 1994 with three sites and 700 volunteers, it is typically held on the last Saturday in September. For additional information, please visit the NPLD website at https://www.neefusa.org/npld.

For more information on California-Great Basin’s recreation areas, visit New Melones at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html, Lake Berryessa at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/berryessa/index.html, and Stony Gorge Reservoir at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/stony-gorge/index.html. 
Source: USBR