Bear Creek (Santa Ana River)
Encyclopedia
Bear Creek is an approximately 17 miles (27.4 km) tributary
of the Santa Ana River
in the San Bernardino Mountains
of the U.S. state
of California
. Its length is entirely contained within San Bernardino County
. It rises near Woodlands
and flows north into Baldwin Lake. From there it flows west past the city of Big Bear Lake
into Bear Valley, where since 1912 it has been impounded by a dam to form Big Bear Lake
. Downstream of the dam it receives Siberia Creek from the left, and plunges suddenly into a steep and narrow canyon, and empties into the Santa Ana River just upstream of Seven Oaks Dam
, which in wet years, impounds water on the Santa Ana River past the Bear Creek confluence.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
in the San Bernardino Mountains
San Bernardino Mountains
The San Bernardino Mountains are a short transverse mountain range north and east of San Bernardino in Southern California in the United States. The mountains run for approximately 60 miles east-west on the southern edge of the Mojave Desert in southwestern San Bernardino County, north of the...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Its length is entirely contained within San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
. It rises near Woodlands
Woodlands, California
Woodlands is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California. Woodlands sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Woodlands's population was 576.-Geography:...
and flows north into Baldwin Lake. From there it flows west past the city of Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake, California
Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, located northeast of the city of San Bernardino. The population was 5,019 at the 2010 census, down from 5,438 at the 2000 census...
into Bear Valley, where since 1912 it has been impounded by a dam to form Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. At a surface elevation of , it has an east-west length of approximately 7 miles and is approximately 2.5 miles at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a...
. Downstream of the dam it receives Siberia Creek from the left, and plunges suddenly into a steep and narrow canyon, and empties into the Santa Ana River just upstream of Seven Oaks Dam
Seven Oaks Dam
The Seven Oaks Dam is located on the Santa Ana River, 4 miles northeast of Redlands, California. It was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control dam. The dam sits virtually on top of the San Andreas Fault and is designed to withstand a magnitude 8.0...
, which in wet years, impounds water on the Santa Ana River past the Bear Creek confluence.