Big Bear and Little Bear are man-made lakes that have flat silt/mud bottoms with no naturally occurring logs, rocks, or gravel beds. The District is trying add natural features into the lakes in an effort to support the aquatic life that resides within these bodies of water.  On April 18, 2019, 45 discarded evergreens (Christmas trees) were put into lakes to create fish habitats. The evergreens are attached to cinder blocks, and then were dropped in the lakes and along the shorelines. The submerged evergreens will provide places for young fish to hide from predators so they can grow to be bigger. Some of the evergreens are visible because they are standing up and poking out of the water. As they trees become waterlogged, they will sink down and no longer be visible. This process might take a month or two. Until they sink, fishermen can visibly see where the evergreens are so they know where the fish will be gathering.

This past winter when the lakes were frozen,  pine logs were put in the lakes off the shore line. They are anchored into the shore and weighted down with cinder blocks to submerge the ends. The logs, along with boulders that were installed off shore,  provide places for turtles to sun themselves and  for water birds to stand.