Why Lakes In The San Bernardino Mountains Are Shrinking

There was a blue heron a few yards away from the Big Bear Marina. Mallards played in the water near the marina’s office. “This is pretty sad looking,” said Scott Ruppel, 60, as he sat in front of the marina office on a recent weekday morning. A frequent lake visitor, Ruppel, a Barstow resident, talked about the grass and other plant life — some green, some not — growing on land once covered by a 3,000 acre lake. The lake is now more like 2,200 acres, meaning 800 acres are exposed, according to Mike Stephenson, general manager of the Big Bear Municipal Water District.