Neighboring Solano County is in the preliminary phase of exploring whether to lease and manage Vallejo’s Lake Frey, Lake Madigan and Lake Curry reservoirs in the hills along the Napa-Solano boundary. Whether Napa County might have a supporting role remains to be seen.

Perhaps Napa County could secure additional water supplies to be prepared for the next drought. Perhaps Lake Curry in the remote mountains of the east county could open up for recreation.

"From my view, I think Napa could be a good partner and I think they could benefit from this,” Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering said.

Napa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Alfredo Pedroza wants to keep that possibility open, given how valuable water is in California.

“I think it’s an opportunity we have to explore,” Pedroza said. “I think a partnership could be potentially forged with Solano.”

But the situation will remain murky for the next few months. Solano County is working on a study to see if leasing the Vallejo Lakes System makes any sense financially and practically. If it decides in the affirmative, it would have to strike a deal with Vallejo.

“We’ve got a long ways to go,” Spering said. “We’re in the exploration phase right now.”

Vallejo in the late 1800s created Lake Frey and in 1908 created nearby Lake Madigan in the hills just east of Napa County. In the mid-1920, it created Lake Curry in eastern Napa County. Pipes brought the water to Vallejo.

This was long before the creation of massive Lake Berryessa reservoir in Napa County and the state system of reservoirs, canals and pipes that move water all over California. Having a local reservoir system was a coup for Vallejo a century ago and helped fuel the growth of Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

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