The Ridge Marine In Water Boat Show 2008
The Ridge Marina on Lake Martin hosted its In Water Boat Show for 2008 last weekend. I went down there on Thursday and filmed a little video footage of the Marina. It was a beautiful day, albeit windy. I was going to post this on Friday to give folks a chance to look around before they came. So by posting this today, I guess it becomes a “in case you missed it” vlog.
Russell Marine had a lot of boats out for show. There were also a lot of homes for sale in the Ridge that were open for touring, as well as some townhomes in The Ledges at The Ridge for sale.
Lunch At Willow Point, Lake Martin
A couple of Sundays ago found us at Willow Point eating lunch to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. We ate lunch in the Willow Point Clubhouse, which overlooks the golf course, and of course, Lake Martin. I had my camera with me, and it was such a beautiful day, I thought to take a few photos.
Why do most Lake Martin lovers wait until Memorial Day to come to the lake? Beats me. Springtime has great weather – plenty of sun and temps in the low 70s. What a beautiful day. Enjoy:
Willow Point’s 18th green:
Willow Point’s Driving Range:
The tee box on number 10, one of the holes that play along Lake Martin:
Willow Point Villas (available for rent by members):
The Pool & Cabana:
Make An Impact At The Tallapoosa Watershed Conference
Conference Information:
Location: Central Alabama Community College, HEA Auditorium, 1675 Cherokee Road, Alexander City, AL
Date: Friday, April 11th, 2008
Cost: FREE registration and A FREE LUNCH will be provided
Topics: Drought impacts, upgrading Lake Martin to Outstanding Alabama Water, Lake Martin dam relicensing, community-based watershed initiatives, and the role of the AU Water Resources Center in management of the Tallapoosa River Basin
Register: To register (required), visit the Tallapoosa Watershed Project web site at: www.twp.auburn.edu
Thanks to Dick Bronson at Lake Watch for submitting this event to the Lake Martin Voice!
Little Kowaliga’s Little Steel .. errr… Concrete Bridge?
If you have a Lake Martin house in the Little Kowaliga area, you are well aware that Little Steel Bridge Road aka Elmore County Road 55 is closed. If you are heading to the Real Island or Parker Creek areas of Lake Martin, and are coming from the south, be aware that you must detour. Keep going north on highway 9, when you hit downtown Equality, take Coosa County Road 2 east.
I have a home for sale near Real Island, and was heading over there last Friday. I took that chance to snap these pictures. I came away with a few observations:
a.) Little Steel Bridge is steel no longer. Mostly concrete with some steel girders thrown in for good measure (read engineering).
b.) It’s going to take a while to complete. Get used to the detour.
c.) Will they change the name of the road? Unlikely.
Lake Martin Maps: Pre Civil War And Web 2.0
For anyone that likes old maps of Alabama – or if you would like to see what your Lake Martin property looked like before the lake was built – I have a great site for you.
The University of Alabama is a great site resource for these old maps. Some of them date back to the early 1800s. Here are links to Lake Martin counties:
Old Tallapoosa County Maps Old Elmore County Maps Old Coosa County Maps
Click this link for other Alabama Counties. Hat tip to boataholic on the Lake Martin Forum for the heads up on this link!
While I’m on the subject of maps, please click on my map of Lake Martin. I have made a Google Map that shows Lake Martin marinas, restaurants, my listings of Lake Martin real estate for sale, and Coley Real Estate office locations. If you click on any of the listings, I have added in little pictures of the homes for sale, links to their information on my blog, and also links to their online video tours.
Since it’s a Google Map, you can switch back and forth between street map view and satellite photo images. They recently have updated parts of Lake Martin with the ability to really zoom in tight, so it might be fun to zoom way into your spot on the lake.
4 Points To Ponder On The Future Of Lake Martin Zoning
Right now there is no one set of zoning rules that covers the entire Lake Martin area. Why? For starters, it stretches over three different counties, and most of the shoreline is not inside any cities’ limits. It’s an old lake, developed in a rural area. But, as things change, prices rise, and high end developments are created, more people start talking about a zoning plan that would control the entire Lake Martin area.
I have been hearing a lot of local and industry talk about this lately. It seems that some mysterious document has appeared on the internets (insert grain of salt here) that purports to be a proposed bill for the Alabama legislature and would create a Lake Martin Planning Commission. The Commission would create and regulate zoning for all of the Lake Martin waterfront and surrounding area. You can see a copy of the document here on savelakemartin.com.
Is it for real? Is it a hoax? Who knows. I certainly don’t. Judge for yourself. But it got my puzzler puzzling, ‘til my puzzler was sore. Can “they” really do something like that? Ain’t this America? If something like the Lake Martin Planning Commission was done, how would “they” do it? If “they” could do it, would it be good or bad for Lake Martin?
I am no expert on zoning laws or Alabama lawmaking, so I talked to someone that is. My resource had these interesting observations:
1. Currently there is no proposed bill to create a Lake Martin Planning Commission or some such other Lake Martin zoning entity. If you would like to search pending or proposed legislation, click here for the Alabama Legislature search site. I can’t find one right now. Maybe it’s being crafted right now and will pop up there tomorrow, but at this writing, there is no such bill.
2. A Lake Martin Planning Commission as proposed would more than likely originate at the County Commissioners’ levels. Since Coosa, Tallapoosa, and Elmore Counties would be ceding their right to zone and control part of their land, each county’s commissioners would have to agree on it, vote on it, pass it, and petition the State first before it would go before the legislature.
3. Such an action would probably take more than one legislative session to approve. Since there are so many moving parts, things like this take time. So the public could have two chances at input, once at the county level and once at the state.
4, There might be many opponents at the state level that might lobby heavily against it. In the past, when other rural counties in the state have tried to set up special zoning for unincorporated areas, large insurance type companies have opposed it on the premise of looking out for the little guy.
Disclaimer: I do not have a crystal ball to predict the future. I don’t have x-ray vision to pierce the proverbial smoke filled rooms of politicians. “I am lowly priest from Honan province.” I am not even saying that such zoning would be bad. Part of me cringes at the mere mention of Orwellian sounding “commissions.” But practically speaking, if the two landowners that control 99% of the undeveloped land around Lake Martin want to voluntarily limit themselves, well…. And it may very well be beneficial in the long run. Who knows. Whether this turns out to be true or a hoax, I doubt it will be the last time the subject comes up.
Does Your Lake Martin Home Need Botox?
When it comes to architecture, I don’t know rococo from romanesque. The Lake Martin Voice welcomes guest writer Amy Stoyles to help us all learn about the finer points of home design. Thanks Amy!!!
Does Your Lake Martin Home Need Botox?
Okay, so since the holidays we’ve all been working on those New Year’s resolutions… and I’m not talking about losing those last five pounds.
Rather, it’s those things you want to change about your Lake Martin home – the kitchen that’s too small, the back porch you always wanted, the master bathroom suite with a super sized shower.
And, for the same reasons people hire personal trainers to finally get over that plateau, I have to break it to you – it’s time to hire an Architect.
I can hear the excuses already. While there can be some small truth to all of the following, running an idea by an Architect, even just through a quick phone call, can make a huge difference in your project’s success.
1. Architects Are Too Expensive
Yes, Architects can be expensive. But you would be surprised how much they can save you. Architects can take into account new products and building methods that save you money. A good Architect will keep the massing, the overall shape of the structure or addition, simple. That means you save money on the basics and allows you to splurge on the noticeable details that make your home really special – trim work, cabinets and exposed rafter tails that make the house shine. No one ever complimented anyone on the complexity of their roofline, but everyone notices if you have gorgeous custom cabinets. Those things are vitally important on a renovation or expansion job where new features need to match with the existing structure.
2. My Lake Home Project Is Too Small For An Architect
As for the idea that a renovation job is too small for an Architect – well, there are times
when a job is so straightforward that a homeowner is best just getting a contractor to do it. But 9 times out of 10, even the simplest additions can involve complex problems, like:
• ensuring against water leaks when dealing with rooflines,
• recommending the best products for new windows, doors, and materials,
• stabilizing additions so they do not sink or settle at a different rate than the existing structure, and more.
3. Staying in Budget
Rule No 1: When your budget is important to you, tell your Architect.
Use your Architect to help you stay in budget by creating a team between yourself, the Architect and a Contractor. Have the Contractor review drawings throughout their creation – this allows everyone to stay on the same page when it comes to dollar signs.
4. Why not just use the Contractor?
As I said before, there are times when this is the best route. But what the heck, call an Architect and see what they say. If the project really is that easy, they will let you know. All you will have lost is the time of a quick phone call and most times an Architect can help recommend reliable contractors at the same time to help you get started down your new path.
Amy Stoyles is co-founder and partner of Archiscapes, LLC an architecture firm with offices in Alabama and Florida. www.archiscapes.com
Alabama And Lake Martin Win Battle In Water War
Lake Martin and Alabama have won a victory in the long running “water war” with Georgia and Florida.
In this press release, Governor Bob Riley calls it “the most consequential legal ruling in the 18 year history of the water war.”
What happened?
The US Court of Appeals ruled that a “secret settlement” between Georgia, the Corps of Engineers, and Atlanta area water users is illegal under federal law.
What was the “secret settlement?”
It would have allocated about 23% of Lake Lanier for Atlanta’s water supply. Lake Lanier is a federal reservoir.
Why should anyone outside the state of Georgia care what Georgians do with Lake Lanier’s water?
A federal reservoir means it is owned by all tax payers of the US government, not just Georgians. As Riley said in this article: “”It establishes that the decades-old practice of Atlanta taking more and more water from the federal reservoirs in the Coosa and Chattahoochee Rivers without any legal authority to do so will not stand.”
How does this affect Lake Martin’s water level?
If Georgia is forced to take less water out, there is more water flowing into the Coosa system, which means Lake Martin has to put less water out to hold up the level in the Alabama River (which is formed by the Coosa and Tallapoosa).
What does this victory mean for Lake Martin in the larger scope of the water war?
The Guv thinks that this decision could be used to challenge other withdrawals by Georgia communities upstream. More water coming in, and less going out, equals more water for Lake Martin, and a more stable water level. Hoo-yah!!
For related reading, please see all posts that relate to Lake Martin water level:
Gov Bob Riley On Water Wars And Lake Martin
Alabama Governor Bob Riley has recently played a huge role in lobbying FERC on behalf of Lake Martin’s water level. He is also Alabama’s most visible representative in the ongoing “Water Wars” – the struggle of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama to determine the future water usage of each state, and how that impacts the other two.
The Guv recently spoke to the Montgomery Lions Club, of which I am a member. He spoke on a variety of topics, then opened the floor for questions. Since I am keenly interested in feeding my children, I asked:
“What is the update on the Water Wars?”
Thankfully, The Guv limited his response to include some examples that affect Lake Martin. Namely he talked about how the recent drought caused Georgia to nearly suck their lakes dry, which of course directly and indirectly affected water flow into Alabama, and therefore Lake Martin.
He made two interesting points that cause me to have hope for Alabama’s 
(and Lake Martin’s) negotiating positions:
1. Georgia’s reservoirs (like Lake Lanier) were built by the Federal Government. Not a private company (Martin dam was built by Alabama Power) or even the state government. Since federal tax dollars were used to build those dams, don’t they belong just as much to the citizens of Alabama and Florida as the citizens of Georgia?
2. Apparently all of these dam projects must have charters where they state the purpose for building the dam in the first place. In my deliberately cursory and extremely biased review of the COE site, I saw no mention of using the water for watering golf courses in Buckhead, water amusement parks by ATL, or boiling hot dogs at The Varsity. To the contrary, their charters state that among their purposes is to regulate water flow to navigable rivers. True, Lake Lanier and Lake Martin are on two different watersheds. But I think the Guv was trying to point out the inherent responsibility of downstream flow when the Georgia lakes were built.
I realize that this is a huge subject, with points and counter points on all three states’ sides. The above two items hardly encompass the entire argument. I also realize that it is possible that I misunderstood Gov. Riley, however hard I tried not to just hear the good news selectively.
But, I do feel confident that Lake Martin stands a great chance of coming out of this with more than we started with, such as a higher winter water level.
Do any of you out there in Lake Martin readerland have more to add to this topic? Please click “Continue” and then “Leave A Reply.” I am sure that others would benefit from your comments.
Do you enjoy the sparkling, fresh-as-a-daisy posts of Lake Martin Voice? Would you like an email notification of each new entry? Then type your real email address in the yellow box in the upper right corner to receive a spam-free notification. Or if you’re lazy like me, get hip to RSS and then click on the Lake Martin Voice RSS feed.
Lake Martin’s Sand Island Repaired By Russell Lands
Lake Martin’s Sand Island has been battered by erosion and losing real estate for many years. Alabama’s 80 year record drought exposed a land bridge and afforded area developer Russell Lands an opportunity to drive to it and make repairs.
I rode out there on Friday, December 14, 2007. It was pretty weird to be able to drive to an island that I have ridden past in a boat hundreds of times. I shot some video to show the repairs that Russell Lands did to stave off erosion. They created a sea wall made of rip rap similar to those found on many Lake Martin waterfront homes. To make the video play below, click on it, then click on the Play arrow in the center.
Click here for the direct link to Youtube.
Sorry for those dark corners. I used the wrong lens. FYI, if you’re thinking about driving out there, don’t bother. The road is blocked by a couple of sturdy, locked gates. Plus, it’s deer hunting season, and the area is heavily hunted.
My sincere thanks and Kudos go out to Russell Lands for repairing this famous Lake Martin / Kowaliga area landmark. They deserve a lot of credit for using this crazy drought as a chance to do some good.
Also many thanks to my friend and Salvaging Mentor Larry Bain of Lake Martin Dock Company for the ride out there.