People visited the Glory Hole at Whiskeytown Lake on Tuesday to capture photos of what is a fairly rare event — water flowing into the giant concrete cavity.

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Superintendent Jim Milestone said water flows down the Glory Hole only about once every five years.

Water spilled down the 24-foot-diameter hole last year during heavy rains, but before that it had been many years since it was used to prevent water from going over the dam.

Water does not flow into the spillway until the lake level exceeds 1,211 feet. The Glory Hole is an overflow drain designed to keep the lake level from rising so high that it spills over the top of the nearby dam.