The whirlpool is considered the Gate of Hell in America

Strange vortex like a bottomless hole, with a diameter of nearly 23 m, was discovered in the Berryessa reservoir in the eastern Napa valley of California, USA.

According to Express, this pit acts like an aqueduct. Excess water accumulated in the lake will escape through the hole and create a spectacular vortex.

Whirlpools have also been seen before. This is an artificial structure made of engineer built in the 1950s.

This hole is seen when the water level in Lake Berryessa exceeds a specific height and needs to be drained out. Photo: iStock.

The Berryessa Reservoir sits on top of the Monticello Dam and has the capacity to hold more than 236 million cubic meters of water. Locals call the whirlpool in Lake Berryessa “Hell’s Gate”. This structure can “swallow” about 1,360 m3 of water per second when the reservoir water level rises above 4.7 m.

Drain holes of this type help control the flow of water out of the dam. The decision to build a “Gate of Hell” in the dam was made because the distance between the cliffs was too narrow and could cause the gutter to work inefficiently.

Previously, “Hell’s Gate” appeared in 2006, 2017 and 2019 after heavy rains. In 2017, the phenomenon of “Hell’s Gate” opened attracted hundreds of tourists to visit.

A year later, the lake was reported to have reached full capacity for the first time in 11 years. In 2019, due to heavy rainfall, the gate reopened and caused thousands of traveler poured into Lake Berryessa.

Record rainfall caused water to overflow into “Hell’s Gate”, attracting visitors to the threshold in 2017. Photo: iStock.

Lake Berryessa is a popular tourist destination. However, today, visitors cannot get close to the “Gate of Hell” due to the barriers.

The lake management board also issued regulations prohibiting swimming or boating to ensure the safety of visitors. These precautions were put in place after a woman died from being sucked into a vortex in 1997.

According to Zing