Groundwater Sustainability Project Takes a Streamlined Approach

May 5, 2026: Replenish Big Bear, a regional water program, recently changed course following a board workshop held in April. The Replenish Big Bear Program (Replenish or Program) intends to keep more local water in the Big Bear Valley through an advanced treatment process. Prior to the recent change, the Program planned to discharge purified water into Stanfield Marsh, which flows into Big Bear Lake. From there, Program Water could be withdrawn from the Lake to recharge the local groundwater basin at Sand Canyon in the Moonridge area.

Amidst shifting priorities and recognizing concerns with the complexity and cost of the Program, the Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) Governing Board voted three to two to pursue a revised program scope, focusing on a simplified approach to groundwater recharge. This approach takes the purified water from BBARWA to the Erwin Lake area instead of Sand Canyon. This is known as the Greenspot Recharge Project and would become Phase 1 of the Replenish Big Bear Program. Phase 1 of the revised Program has the following benefits:

• BBARWA would manage the full lifecycle of the water, from treatment to recharge, eliminating the need for additional agreements or projects to move the Program forward.
• Both the City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power (BBLDWP) and the Big Bear City Community Services District (BBCCSD) have existing infrastructure near the Greenspot Recharge Project, allowing direct access to the purified water without new facilities or interagency transfers.
• The project would provide the same recharge benefit of 500 acre-feet per year, increasing groundwater supply by over 10 percent, enough for 2,696 homes annually or to fill the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool twenty times.
• The advanced treatment process will meet or exceed all state and federal water quality standards to protect groundwater quality and public health.
• Phase 1 represents a streamlined initial step toward the ultimate Replenish Big Bear Program. As such, initial capital costs may be reduced by an estimated 15% while ongoing operations and maintenance costs would be reduced by more than 50%.

“This change in approach keeps the focus on replenishing local groundwater, but provides a more simplified path toward implementation,” explained David Lawrence, General Manager of BBARWA.

More than seven potential water supply and treatment alternatives have been evaluated over the past 20+ years. The Greenspot Recharge Project has been evaluated extensively and was shown to be a viable option to enhance groundwater sustainability.

Next steps will include additional public outreach, advancing the design concept, and updating the environmental analysis. The BBARWA Governing Board has not approved funding for construction and will consider whether to proceed as additional information is made available over the course of design. A future Phase II could include additional groundwater recharge at Sand Canyon via Stanfield Marsh/Big Bear Lake.

To learn more about Replenish Big Bear and keep up with the latest news, visit www.ReplenishBigBear.org.