Sightseers flock to see California's Lake Berryessa "Glory Hole" in action
It's been a dry few years in California but, for the Napa Valley at least, January and February rains have brought a welcome top up.
They've also seen the return of a lesser known but mesmerising sight - the Lake Berryessa "Glory Hole" is back in action.
Less a hellish maelstrom and more a large bathtub plug hole, the great big drain has been out of action for the past decade, mainly due to a lack of water to suck out.
But with the rising water level, the number of visitors is on the up too and hundreds of locals have been flocking to see the 22-metre wide concrete funnel doing its thing.
The Glory Hole's purpose in life is to prevent the reservoir overflowing by sucking 1.37 million litres of water per second from the Monticello Dam, delivering it just over 200m away and 60m down to the Putah Creek.
In a sign of just how long it has been since the lake last reached this level, new technology has allowed it to be viewed from above, as well as from behind the safety of the lakeside fences.
Drones were not the common household items they are now when the northern California reservoir last filled in 2006, so it was always going to be a rush to be the first to put a quadricopter in the air to take a better look.
Some reports suggest upwards of 15 drones at a time have been sighted flying above Lake Berryessa as hundreds gather along the roadside for closer looks.
Inspection via boat, for obvious reasons, is less advisable.
