Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area is offering guided tours on the water on Saturday, December 4 and 18, 2021 to spot Bald Eagles wintering in the area. Arrive and check in between 9:30-9:45 am. Board the barge promptly at 10am and tour for about an hour.
Tours are by reservation only and are free after park entrance fee of $10! Sign up on Eventbrite by 5pm the day before.
Park at the Boat Launch Lot and meet near the boat launch area. There you will see a check-in table set up. If you have not checked in by 9:45am, your spot will be given to someone on the waiting list. Please bring binoculars, water and snacks. Silverwood Lake is located off Hwy 138 & Cleghorn Road,11 miles east of I-15. 760-389-2299
Volunteers from the public had the opportunity join park officials in recent years to conduct the Bald Eagle Count surveys around Silverwood Lake, Lake Perris, Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead and Lake Hemet.
The bald eagle population in the lower 48 states has quadrupled since 2009 underscoring decades of efforts to protect a species that was once on the brink of extinction. In 2009, the bald eagle population in the lower 48 states was estimated to be just above 72,000, including roughly 30,000 breeding pairs. In 2019, that number has risen to an estimated 316,700 bald eagles in the lower 48 states with more than 71,400 breeding pairs.
In the 12 years since the bird was removed from the Endangered Species Act, the annual census showed its wintering population has remained level in the National Forest area. There fore the annual Bald Eagle Counts are no longer being held.
