Lake Martin

NNo doubt, proximity to Lake Martin played a role in your decision to move to the area, and small wonder, as Alabama’s Freshwater Coast offers an elevated quality of life beyond imagination. From swimming and boating to kayaking and paddle boarding, fishing, hiking, sunset cruising, dining and more, Lake Martin is a great place to live, work and play.

Lake Martin is a reservoir created in the 1920s for power generation and recreation. As Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., prints Lake, a monthly magazine to help you navigate your fun on this 44,150-acre paradise, it is our pleasure to introduce you to Alabama’s only Treasured Lake.

Treasured Lake status is an environmental standard that was adopted by gubernatorial executive order in 2010 after data indicated a level of cleanliness and nutrient enrichment that surpasses any other lake in the state.

The reservoir was created when Alabama Power

Company built a dam at a landmark known as Cherokee

Bluffs on the Tallapoosa River. Put into service on New

Year’s Eve 1926, the 2,000-foot-long dam at 168 feet in height holds back 31 miles of water. Its four turbines generate enough electricity to power thousands of homes.

During World War II, Martin Dam supplied electricity to the country’s eastern seaboard, including Washington D.C., and was No. 7 on the list of enemy targets in the U.S.

Following the war, the lake became a recreation area.

Mill houses in town were moved to the lake and served as fishing cabins and weekend abodes. Boating and water skiing grew in popularity, but fluctuating water levels barred the area’s growth, as the lake level could change by 20 feet or more without notice.

There was no standard regulation of water levels until the 1970s when a contingent of businessmen took their concerns to Washington. They saw the potential for the lake to generate quality of life, as well as electricity. When the power company’s license to operate the dam was renewed in 1972, it included a projected summer pool level of 490 feet with a 10-foot drawdown of the water level in winter.

By the mid-1990s, homes dotted the shorelines and a few businesses had sprung up to cater to homeowners and vacationers on the lake.

Three nonprofit advocacy organizations formed during that time, and their work profoundly impacts your enjoyment of the lake. Lake Martin Homeowners and Boat

Owners Association addresses safety concerns and legislation; Lake Watch of Lake Martin monitors water quality; and Lake Martin Resource Association maintains hazard buoys, coordinates cleanups and more. Learn more about these organizations in the Boating & Fishing article on page 12 of this newcomers’ guide.

In 2008, the power company’s license was up for renewal again. This time, it was clear that Lake Martin was the prominent economic engine for the area, and efforts were made to extend the summer pool by six weeks and reduce the winter drawdown to 7 feet, which would facilitate lake access to a large number of boat ramps and private docks throughout the winter.

When the initial environmental impact study was released in 2014, the requested provisions were not included, but local media and stakeholders turned out en masse at a public hearing to voice their concerns. More than 600 homeowners and business owners crowded the hearing venue, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission personnel were overwhelmed with the response. The public outcry prompt-

Floating in Lake Martin's pristine water is a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon with friends

Join the fun on Alabama's Freshwater Coast

STORY BY BETSY ILER PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE & AUDRA SPEARS

ed more research and modeling, and when the license was issued in December 2015, it included a mandated 7-foot drawdown and a conditional fall extension of the summer pool level.

Once every six years, the winter pool level is drawn down 10 feet to kill off invasive weeds and provide access for dock maintenance and repairs. Winter 2021-2022 was the most recent 10-foot drawdown; the next 10-foot drawdown is scheduled for 2027-2028.

A conditional fall extension is declared or denied on Sept. 1 of each year. If enough water is retained throughout the Tallapoosa and Coosa river basins, Alabama Power will maintain the summer pool level until Oct. 15. If the season has been a dry one and water levels are not at peak throughout the river systems, the winter drawdown would begin on Sept. 1.

Another provision of the new license involves water level measurement. While previous measurement standards measured the summer pool level at 490 feet, the adoption of mean sea level feet was found to be more accurate at 491 feet. The water level did not change, but the measurement method did. Summer pool remains at 491 msl feet, and the winter pool level is 484 msl feet in normal years. In a 10-foot drawdown year, the winter level would be 481 msl feet.

Alabama Power regulates all construction on Lake Martin. Permits are required for dock and boathouse maintenance and construction, seawall or rip-wrap placement and

Viewing the wildlife is a favorite past time here

Watersports, including Jet Skis, wakeboarding, slalom skiing and more, abound And what could be better than watching the sunset from an island beach on the lake?

any home construction. In addition, best management practices are recommended for wildlife and shoreline buffers. Visit apcshorelines.com for permit guidelines and application forms, as well as aquatic plant management and other guidelines.

Lake Martin is patrolled by Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol troopers in District III with offices in the marina parking lot at Wind Creek State Park. In an emergency on or off the water, call 9-1-1. For nonemergency marine patrol matters, call 256-329-2268. For boating rules and regulations, visit alea.gov/marine-patrol/boatingrules-and-regulations.

If it’s a walk in the woods that you crave, Lake Martin offers more than 150 miles of options, from the footpath only CRATA trails to Wind Creek State Park and Russell Forest. Each of the area’s hiking, biking or horse trails shares its own spectacular beauty, wildlife and geographical features. It’s not unheard of to run up on a roosting bald eagle along the cliffside of the Deadening Trail; to happen across a rare bottomland wildflower on the return hike from Smith Mountain Fire Tower; or to hear a turkey call when strolling the Big Way through Russell Forest.

Lake Martin Tourism rewards hikers who complete mileage on 1ocal trails. Visit explorelakemartin.com for the hiking challenge details; then, strap on your boots, grab a staff and hit one of these delightful trails.

Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trails Association boasts 26 miles along four footpath only trail locations near the east and south shorelines of Lake Martin. The Overlook trails were constructed in 2004 and feature stands of longleaf pine, native azaleas and charming mountain laurel teacup blossoms in season. Up the road from Overlook Park, the James M. Scott Deadening Trail features unique rock formations, including the Needle’s Eye and Jasmine Bluff, and a spectacular view of Lake Martin’s most popular landmark, Chimney Rock on Acapulco Rock Island.

Four trails at Smith Mountain are complemented with an outdoor education center at the foot of a fire tower that offers Lake Martin’s most spectacular panoramic view. The trails at Smith Mountain are color coded and blazed on tree trunks at adult-eye-level to help hikers navigate. Download maps at crata.org. South of Lake Martin, the John B. Scott Forever Wild and Cherokee Bluffs Dam Railroad trails wind through a historic wildlife management area owned by Alabama Forever Wild.

Russell Lands has set aside some 25,000 acres of woods and streams for the preservation of nature for future generations at Lake Martin. The diverse habitat provides an excellent venue for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding and serves as a staging area for Russell Lands’ naturalist programs and guided hikes. The woods are maintained as a working forest to help protect Lake Martin and ensure that it will retain its standing as one of the country’s cleanest lakes.

Download the free Russell Lands app, which provides GPS locating on the trail map. The app also includes links to Russell Lands events and restaurants.

Wind Creek State Park offers hiking and horseriding trails through hardwood buttoms and pine forest. For maps and information, visit alapark.com/parks/wind-creek-state-park.

Alabama Power also maintains a Nature’s Way day-use area at Lake Martin, featuring a meandering hiking trail on more than 70 acres. To download a map and take a virtual tour, visit acppreserves.com/lake-martin/#_natures.

You have chosen a wonderland for your new home.

Look for Lake and Lake Martin Living magazines in racks for free at merchants throughout the Lake Martin area to find fun places to be and things to do in your new home.

Welcome to the lake!