by:  Mat Campbell, Past President & Director Lake Watch
 Appeared in April 2025 issue of Lake Magazine

LAKE WATCH CELEBRATES THE CLEAN WATER OF OUR TREASURED LAKE MARTIN AND WORKS TO PROTECT IT!

Lake Watch has a new president.

At the Lake Watch of Lake Martin annual meeting in February, the gavel passed to Bill Butler to begin a three year term as president of Lake Watch. Past president, Matt Campbell, will continue as a director.

Citizen support is growing for conservation measures throughout the Sandy Creek area to protect single-family shoreline neighborhoods and “Natural Undeveloped” lands.

Lake area citizens recognize that ever expanding, unrestricted commercial development and high density residential development will not be good long term planning for Lake Martin. The great majority of Lake Martin shoreline property is County land where no restrictions apply. So, “anything goes”!

It is hard to imagine how restriction of development could occur on a lake wide basis. One neighborhood group, Homeowners Association of Lake Martin, Sandy Creek Area, Inc. (HOA Lake Martin) has been active in advocating for a local, neighborhood approach. They advocate for single-family residential zoning and a special “Conservation Area” throughout the Sandy Creek/Smith Mountain area of Lake Martin.

The proposition is that local government and Alabama Power Company (APC) should restrict issuance of permits associated with commercial development, multi-family, condominium and other high density residential development in those traditional single-family residential shoreline neighborhood areas on Lake Martin which identify themselves as wanting to restrict development in their neighborhood. They urge special protection for areas near APC “Natural Undeveloped” lands. They submit that this shoreline management policy will, “accomplish a measure of development restraint as part of a comprehensive and ‘balanced’ development plan for all of Lake Martin.”

They urge that this approach would be particularly appropriate for the Sandy Creek/Smith Mountain area of the lake. This advocacy also applies to other neighborhoods on the lake, such as the Manoy Creek area, where the single-family residential shoreline neighbors identify themselves as wanting to restrict commercial and high density development in their neighborhood.

Lake Watch of Lake Martin and Lake Martin HOBOs have declared their support for this mission. We are advocating that the Tallapoosa County Commission and the City of Dadeville and Alabama Power Company and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) develop single-family residential zoning and land use regulations and Shoreline Management Plan guidelines to preserve our traditional single-family shoreline neighborhoods and add protection to APC “Natural Undeveloped” areas on Lake Martin, specifically including recognition of a special “Conservation Area” throughout the Sandy Creek/Smith Mountain area.

We are urging lake area citizens to support this mission. To make your support known, you should send a statement of support, with your name and email address to HOA Lake Martin, P.O. Box 425, Dadeville, AL 36853, or by email to info@lakewatch.org , or hoalakemartin@gmail.com, or info@lakemartinhobos.com.

Your support of this mission as stated above does not create any obligation for “dues” nor “assessments” nor “membership” in any organization.

Drinking water concerns in the Lake Martin area are looking for answers.     

Many residents in the Lake Martin area, particularly customers of drinking water processed at Alexander City’s Adams Water Treatment Plant, are concerned about an offensive taste and smell to their water. It has been suggested that this is caused by algae. Officials at Adams Water Treatment Plant have identified chemical and mechanical changes that might be made at the plant.

Lake Watch and Lake Martin Home Owners and Boat Owners (HOBOs) are both determined to explore the facts and help get to the bottom of this problem. Is the culprit an algae or something else? Does this problem exist in the Lake Martin water source, or is the algae accumulated in the distribution lines? Is this merely a matter of bad taste, or is it an unhealthy condition? What are the scientific, biochemical and engineering responses that may solve this problem?

Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is identified as being responsible for, “State Secondary Drinking Water Regulation. A regulation which: a. Applies to a public water system; b. Specifies maximum contaminant levels necessary to protect the public comfort or well‑being controlling contaminants which: 1. Adversely affect odor or appearance of water, thereby causing substantial numbers of persons to discontinue its use; or 2. Otherwise adversely affect the public comfort or well‑being; and c. May vary according to geographic and other circumstances.

Lake Watch and HOBOs want this situation to be addresses by ADEM, and by Alexander City, and perhaps by Auburn University so that correct solutions can be found. 

Thank you for supporting the work of Lake Watch of Lake Martin. Above all, get out on the waters of Lake Martin or the Tallapoosa River. It will make your heart happy!

Matt Campbell, Past President and Director
Lake Watch of Lake Martin, Inc.

info@lakewatch.org