The State : Rebuilding of Dam Approved

Land owners at Big Bear Lake voted overwhelmingly in favor of a tax to help raise $10.8 million needed to rebuild the cracked and leaking 76-year-old Bear Valley Dam in the San Bernardino Mountains. The state, fearing that an earthquake could destroy the dam and flood residents below, mandated that the 82-foot tall structure be rebuilt by October or that the recreational lake behind it be drained. A spokeswoman for Big Bear Municipal Water District, which owns the dam, said that “88% of the people were in favor” of forming a tax assessment district to raise about $6 million for the project. A state grant of about $5 million is expected to make up the difference, Janet McCord said. Construction is scheduled to begin May 1, but should not disrupt traffic or tourism during the busy spring and summer months, McCord said. “Our target date for completion is October,” McCord said.