The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin
No. 53, January 2018
by Eric Reutebuch
2017 Achievements:
- 25 sites monitored for water chemistry and bacteria in the Lake Martin Watershed
- 121 data records submitted to the AWW water quality database
- Provided bacteria monitoring data to the Swim Guide, www.theswimguide.org
- Educated hundreds of children and adults about lake and watershed stewardship
Lake Watch Annual Meeting, March 4, 2018
The Lake Watch Annual Meeting will be Sunday, March 4, 2018, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the StillWaters Residential Association Centre inside StillWaters Resort (1816 StillWaters Drive, Dadeville, AL; map and directions below). Lunch will be at 1 pm, catered fried catfish fillets with fixins. We ask that you pre-register online so that we have a head count in order to accurately order food.
Register for the meeting at www.lakewatch.org. Click the Events menu on the left side of the homepage, then click the Register button, be sure to add ‘guests’ if you are bringing a spouse or friend(s) with you. Or, if you prefer, send an e-mail to us at info@lakewatch.org to let us know that you plan to attend, and we’ll register you. Once you’ve registered, please pay at the door when you come to the meeting.
The Lake Watch Board askes that everyone donate a nominal fee of $10.00 per person to cover the cost of our lunch plus an unexpected rental charge for the building to preserve our membership dues and other donations for water quality and watershed stewardship purposes. We plan to have Dr. Bill Deutsch as our guest speaker to give us a sneak-peak of his new book Rivers of Alabama, with emphasis on the Tallapoosa River Basin. Lake Watch president, Eric Reutebuch, will give an overview of results from our 2017 Lake Watch water quality monitoring throughout the lake.
Directions to StillWaters Residential Association Building: From Dadeville take Hwy 49 south, turn into StillWaters onto Moonbrook Drive, take Moonbrook Drive to StillWaters Drive, turn right on StillWaters Drive, the StillWaters Residential Association Building will be on your left (see red dot on map).
Special Thanks to People Working to Spread Watershed Stewardship
Judy Palfrey serves as Lake Watch water monitoring volunteer coordinator, ensuring that Lake Watch monitors have adequate supplies to do their water testing.
Judy is also a monitor, and tests at multiple sites. She also continues to work with Dadeville grade school and middle school children to teach them about watershed stewardship, water monitoring and “Living Streams” – analysis of the aquatic critters that signify that the water is healthy or, by their absence, indicate pollution. Lastly, she has educated the public at booths at several events using the Enviroscape to teach adults as well as children about nonpoint source pollution and its negative impacts on our waters. If you think you'd like to become a monitor or environmental educator, talk with Judy!
Dick and Mary Ann Bronson, Raymond and Zelma dePasquale, and George Zorn continue to support the Gifted Student teacher at Pelham Oaks Elementary School in the Birmingham area over the last 3 years. Programs include ‘Living Streams’ for Gifted classes 3-4-5, taking the students on hikes in Oak Mountain State Park, and accompanying them on field trips to Wheeler Wildlife Refuge. Dick also continues to take Gifted students at Radney Elementary on enviro-hikes on the nature trail behind the school, enhancing learning experiences for the children in the boundless ‘outdoor classroom.’
Dianna Porter has been working with students at Keebler Park in Dadeville. Thirty students from Dadeville High School learned about rainwater runoff and how to build a rain garden from Dr. Eve Brantly at AU. After the class, students installed a rain garden at Keebler Park. The park is in the process of becoming a park that can be used as an outdoor classroom.
Lake Watch Leadership and Budget
Changes in our board in 2017 included the addition of Janne Debes to the board, replacing Laurel Goldsmith as Lake Watch treasurer and website manager – THANK YOU Janne for stepping up!
A big THANK YOU to all who’ve sent their annual dues in, especially to those who have donated at the Silver ($50; 5 donors), Gold ($100; 2 donors; and Platinum ($250; 1 donor). As you know, the greatest part of the Lake Watch budget is spent on the purchase of water testing supplies. In addition to water testing kits and supplies, membership funds are used to cover our costs to spread the word of watershed stewardship, water conservation, to advocate for clean water, and to encourage others to join in the effort. The website, newsletter, and teaching supplies are all part of those costs.
Water Monitoring
Lake Watch gained 7 new AWW-certified water monitors in 2017, Joanne Walker, Janne Debes, Dianna Porter and Ed and Marge Sloan, Allen Sneed, Jr., and Veta Christy. Lake Watch volunteer monitors have increased water testing throughout the lake to 25 sites (up from 18 sites last year) from Horseshoe Bend down to Martin Dam (see map at right – green makers are active sites, red dots are inactive sites).
Lake Watch benefitted from Alabama Water Watch’s Tiger
Day of Giving – through the efforts of Ed Sloan who submitted an application for monitoring supplies to the program. Ed received a free AWW water chemistry test kit, which he has been sharing with Eric Reutebuch and Ed Eisworth – thanks Ed S. for sharing, and thanks AWW for the kit!
Results in 2017 indicated that Martin remains clean and healthy, with good dissolved oxygen levels to maintain a healthy community of aquatic critters (as well as good levels of pH, alkalinity and hardness). Bacteriological testing indicated only 2 of 28 tests with elevated levels of E. coli., one in Little Sandy Creek and another in a small tributary that flows into Chattasofka Creek. All readings in Lake Martin were quite low and safe.
Key areas of the lake have gone silent, particularly the Kowaliga side of the lake, as long-time volunteers retire their test kits, so we are in need of new water monitors. If you think it’s a necessity to have an insurance policy for your car, think the same way about your lake – insure it through your involvement in lake stewardship by becoming a Lake Watch supporter, and consider becoming a water monitor. Visit the Alabama Water Watch website at www.alabamawaterwatch.org for information on water testing and registration for free workshops held throughout the year, or email Eric at reuteem@auburn.edu.
Closing Thoughts
YOU are what makes Lake Watch of Lake Martin work! We urge each of our Lake Watch members to spread the word on Lake Watch, to support our programs and to participate. Renew your membership! Help sign up new members to our team! Consider an additional donation to Lake Watch! Not everyone can get out and monitor water or teach in a classroom, but each member is essential to our success. Together, we can and will make a difference in the protection of our lake, in water conservation and clean water advocacy, and in the world we leave for our children. If every Lake Watch member encourages one or two friends to join in our efforts, it will go a long way toward ensuring the continuation of the good work we've accomplished over the past 25 years. Go visit your neighbor and sign him or her up. Or send your neighbor to our website, www.lakewatch.org to sign up. Better yet, bring them to our annual meeting on March 4th where they can hear about our work first-hand!
Dues Reminder
Take the plunge, if you haven’t already! 
Protect Lake Martin by supporting Lake Watch!
And ask a neighbor to do the same!
For the many faithful Lake Watch members who already sent in their dues for 2018, thank you! And for those who haven’t yet, don't forget to send your check to:
P. O. Box 72 Alexander City, AL 35010
to keep your membership current. Membership levels are listed below:
Regular dues (annual): Student $10 Individual $15 Family $25
Lake Martin Steward: Silver $50 Gold $100 Platinum $250
We also welcome donations. Don't forget–a donation in someone's honor/memory is a lovely gift/tribute.
