by:  Matt Campbell, President  Lake Watch
 Appeared in July 2023 issue of Lake Magazine

Now that summer is in full swing, Lake Watch volunteers are back to work providing twice-a-month water quality testing at sites across Lake Martin. Results of our bacteriological testing are posted to the Lake Watch Swim Alert webpage at Lakewatch.org/swim-alert and to the Alabama Water Watch statewide database at aaes.auburn.edu/alabamawaterwatch. Our testing this season confirms excellent water quality throughout Lake Martin; however, if our testing does identify areas on the lake that do not appear to meet ADEM safe swimming standards, that information can be used by persons recreating on the lake to make their safe swimming decisions. 

Now that summer is in full swing, Lake Watch volunteers are back to work providing twice-a-month water quality testing at sites across Lake Martin. Results of our bacteriological testing are posted to the Lake Watch Swim Alert webpage at Lakewatch.org/swim-alert and to the Alabama Water Watch statewide database at aaes.auburn.edu/alabamawaterwatch. Our testing this season confirms excellent water quality throughout Lake Martin; however, if our testing does identify areas on the lake that do not appear to meet ADEM safe swimming standards, that information can be used by persons recreating on the lake to make their safe swimming decisions. 

Lake Watch monitors water quality at numerous swimming beach sites across Lake Martin, including the beach at one popular restaurant in the lower lake where geese and ducks may often be present in significant numbers. Some patrons delight in feeding the waterfowl and turtles at this swim beach. At this site, Lake Watch monitors identified E. coli levels above the ADEM safe swimming limit on two occasions in the 2022 swim season and again in May 2023. Presence of waterfowl, particularly Canada geese in significant numbers, could be expected to produce fecal contamination at a swim beach, be it public or private. Also, be aware that E.coli would persist in the sediment for a fairly long time after the geese have left.

Lake lovers need to make their own informed decisions about wildlife management and when and where to swim. Lake Watch recommends that lake lovers discourage the presence of geese at their swim areas. We all know that this is easier said than done. Geese are very persistent about getting to a food source, such as a nice green lawn or fruit trees near the water. Above all, feeding of food pellets and table scraps is discouraged.

Canada geese are magnificent creatures. Most of us delight to see them on Lake Martin and believe that the resident population is at a healthy natural level. Lake Watch inquired at the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division. They referred us to a very thorough article on their website addressing the problem presented by Canada geese. On page one, this article offers a control measure, “Ban public feeding of geese,” as the first listed item under Habitat Modification. Read the article at outdooralabama.com/sites/default/files/Wildlife/Nuisance/CanadaGeese_Final.pdf.

Oversight of upcoming industrial discharge from Alabama Graphite Products, LLC 

It is understood that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has issued a State Indirect Discharge Permit to Alabama Graphite Products, Inc., at Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park in Kellyton. AGP will produce a coated spherical graphite product to be used primarily in electric vehicle batteries. AGP is expected to go online as the first graphite processing plant of its kind in the U.S. The company has represented that it will use proprietary technology that is environmentally friendly and specifically will not use hydrofluoric acid in the processing. AGP is to receive fresh water from Alexander City and, after pre-processing the waste at the plant, return a stream of wastewater to the Alexander City Sugar Creek municipal wastewater treatment plant. The Sugar Creek plant effluent discharges into Lake Martin. 

Lake Watch was delighted that ADEM Director Lance LeFleur provided representatives from Lake Watch and from Lake Martin Homeowners and Boat Owners Association a meeting at ADEM with himself and six ADEM program managers to discuss the AGP permit. This very thorough and informative meeting lasted two hours. We learned that the AGP construction has not yet reached its final stage. No effluent is being discharged as yet.

The SID permit provides that the AGP plant must submit an updated comprehensive analysis of the plant’s actual wastewater within six months from initiation of discharge. Currently, there are no specific EPA federal effluent guidelines governing this categorical discharge. Until now, the industry hasn’t existed in the U.S. ADEM uses best professional judgement, evaluations of the municipal wastewater treatment plant and water quality standards in developing the permit. ADEM will review the permit to AGP after commencement of discharge. The Alexander City Sugar Creek WWTP also has a final say on the volume and composition of the wastewater that will be accepted into the plant. The ADEM permit issued to Alabama Graphite is subject to review by the EPA.

The permitted discharge volume is 400,000 gallons per day. The Sugar Creek WWTP has 8.5 million gallons per day capacity. Regarding the character of the discharge, we learned that the most significant regulated pollutant is expected to be a concentration of dissolved salts. Dissolved salts are mostly from calcium, magnesium and sulphur. It is represented that these salts are common components in soil and in seawater. ADEM stated that the volume of salts being added by the Alabama Graphite discharge is a small in relation to the design capacity of the WWTP.

ADEM said that heavy metals, if present in the graphite ore, precipitate out in the graphite purification and pH adjustment processes. If metals are present in the waste, they will be at levels similar to those in domestic sewage, based on the data provided in the application. The SID permit estimates that the discharge pH will be approximately 8.0. ADEM said the common range of allowable pH for the discharge for SID permits is 5.0 to 10.5. Regarding concern about “forever chemicals,” such as PFAS in the Alabama Graphite discharge, ADEM stated that there are no significant levels of forever chemicals expected in the discharge and that higher levels could likely be found in everyday residential wastewater.

ADEM said that they have no serious concerns about the pollutants listed in the Alabama Graphite wastewater as characterized in the Alabama Graphite permit application. The SID permit was developed to be protective of the receiving stream and protective of the municipal WWTP itself. ADEM is confident in the multiple layers of water quality protection for the lake, which include:

• wastewater pretreatment at the plant by Alabama Graphite as required by the ADEM permit;
• routine testing by AGP of their discharge as required by ADEM;
• unannounced testing of the Alabama Graphite discharge by ADEM;
• routine testing of discharge at the Sugar Creek WWTP;
• review of discharge monitoring reports submitted monthly by Alabama Graphite and the Sugar Creek WWTP to ADEM.

Lake Watch has conferred with Alexander City’s Mayor “Woody” Baird, who said that, at this time, the City has no issues or concerns with the effluent expected to be produced by AGP. Baird said the AGP effluent post processing through the Sugar Creek WWTP is expected to be drinkable by the time it goes into the lake. It has been calculated that Lake Martin has about a 190-day retention time, meaning the water in the lake is renewed every 190 days, primarily by incoming flow from the Tallapoosa River and outgoing flow through Martin Dam. At this point, Lake Watch is rather confident that we may expect Lake Martin will not be adversely impacted by the Alabama Graphite discharge and that ADEM and Alexander City are on top of the current  situation.

To join Lake Watch or renew your membership, to get involved as a partner in the Tallapoosa Clean Water Priority, to get involved in Lake Watch as a member or monitor or sponsor, visit the Lake Watch website at lakewatch.org. 

Matt Campbell is president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin, Inc. Learn more at info@lakewatch.org.

by:  Mat Campbell, President,  Lake Watch
 Appeared in April 2023 issue of Lake Magazine

Lake Martin water quality monitoring

Now that swim season is upon us, Lake Watch volunteers are back to work providing twice-a-month water quality testing at 17 or more sites across Lake Martin. Lake Watch Swim Alert Director Eric Reutebuch said test results will be posted on the Lake Watch Swim Alert webpage.

“Results of our bacteriological testing will be posted at Lakewatch.org/swim-guide and to the Alabama Water Watch statewide database. We expect our testing will confirm excellent water quality throughout Lake Martin.” Reutebuch said. “If our testing identifies areas on the lake that at the time do not appear to meet ADEM safe swimming standards, that information can be used by persons recreating on the lake to make their safe swimming decisions.” 

Testing on tributary streams

 This swim season, Lake Watch will further expand bacteriological testing on the Tallapoosa River and its tributary streams and report data to the Alabama Water Watch data bank, as well as directly to ADEM. We find that, on many of our tributary streams, testing reveals E. coli measurements that do not meet the applicable ADEM minimum standards.

Apparent sources of this pollution include the expanding poultry industry in our watershed, storm water runoff from cattle pastures and shortcomings in community wastewater treatment. Lake Watch is seeking to confirm sources of pollution in the river and streams and to address measures that would protect and improve our clean water. Water quality advocacy for our streams is good for Lake Martin. Fishing, kayaking and eco-tourism on the river contribute economic value to our rural communities; moreover, the pure recreational value of our river and streams is fundamental to our Alabama heritage and our lifestyle. Property owners, farmers, foresters, business owners, local government ...  are urged to help develop best practices to prevail throughout the watershed. Get involved as partners in our Clean Water Priority. 

Alabamians, don’t take clean water for granted. Celebrate your clean water and protect it.  

Oversight of industrial discharge from Alabama Graphite Products, LLC

Lake Martin area citizens are concerned over Lake Martin receiving industrial pollution from the Alabama Graphite Products plant now under construction in Kellyton. Citizens have asked Lake Watch to provide a measure of oversight regarding this industrial discharge. Lake Watch has resolved to do so. Our Alabama State administration and local government have been delighted to welcome Westwater Resources, Inc., and its subsidiary, Alabama Graphite Products, LLC, to the Lake Martin Regional Industrial Park to produce graphite product for use primarily in electric vehicle batteries.

We understand this will be the first graphite processing plant of its kind in the U.S. and that it will use environmentally friendly, patent pending, proprietary technology. The graphite processing plant is to receive fresh water from Alexander City and, after pre-processing the waste at the plant, will return a stream of wastewater to the Alexander City Sugar Creek municipal wastewater treatment plant. The Sugar Creek plant effluent discharges into Lake Martin.

ADEM has issued to Alabama Graphite Products, LLC, a State Indirect Discharge (SID) final permit, dated Sept. 29, 2022. The public wants to be informed about what will ultimately be discharged into Lake Martin. Lake Watch is concerned that, at this point, the characteristics of discharge and the acceptable wastewater profile referred to in the SID permit may still be open questions.

Prior to issuance of a permit, representatives from Lake Watch and Lake Martin HOBOs attended an informative and reassuring meeting of executives and engineers from Alexander City and Alabama Graphite. Lake Watch will request a follow up meeting with ADEM soon. We want EPA, ADEM and Alabama Graphite to provide the very highest standards of environmental protection for this new graphite processing technology. We want Westwater Resources, Inc., and Alabama Graphite Products, LLC, to spare no cost in providing clear, clean discharge from its operations. 

Clean Water Bouquet Awards 

A Clean Water Bouquet goes out to the Camp Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant project. Lake Watch understands that ADEM is poised to award a very substantial grant to the Town of Camp Hill for construction of a first class WWTP. Over past years, Camp Hill’s settlement ponds have drained into Sandy Creek and then on to Lake Martin. Thanks goes to all persons who are making this project happen, especially including ADEM Director Lance LeFleur, Rep. Ed Oliver, County Commissioner Emma Jean Thweatt and Camp Hill Mayor Williams-Cole. This is great news for Sandy Creek and Lake Martin. 

A Clean Water Bouquet goes out to the Wind Creek State Park project for construction of a forced main to Alexander City’s Sugar Creek WWTP. Lake Watch understands that ADEM is poised to award a very substantial grant for this infrastructure project. The Wind Creek State Park settlement ponds have drained into Lake Martin. Thanks goes to all persons who are making this project happen, specially including ADEM Director Lance LeFleur, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Rep. Ed Oliver, County Commissioner Steve Robinson and Alexander City Mayor Baird. This is great news for Wind Creek State Park and Lake Martin.

Matt Campbell is president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin, Inc., a non-profit, all volunteer, 501(c)(3) environmental organization working to protect the clean water of Lake Martin and the Tallapoosa watershed.

by:  Mat Campbell, President,  Lake Watch
 Appeared in January 2023 issue of Lake Magazine

Lake Watch celebrates the clean water of Lake Martin, and we work to protect it. Likewise, we recognize the importance of the streams of the Tallapoosa River watershed, and we celebrate their clean water, beauty and recreational value. 

For over 30 years, Lake Watch has worked with Alabama Water Watch to recruit and train volunteer Lake Watch monitors. Lake Watch submits accurate water quality data to AWW and to Alabama Department of Environmental Management. During swim season on Lake Martin, water quality test results from 15 Lake Watch Swim Alert sites are reported on the website at lakewatch.org/Swim-Alert. Sites on Lake Martin consistently confirm excellent water quality, as expected on our Treasured Alabama Lake; however, on occasions, a site shows E. coli levels beyond the safe limit set by ADEM, which also is reported. Testing on the tributary streams of the Tallapoosa River drainage into Lake Martin shows high E. coli levels following rain events.

Water quality monitoring on our streams is not just about keeping Lake Martin clean. It is important that Lake Watch monitoring and our clean water advocacy extends to the tributary streams of the Tallapoosa River basin. For example, Hillabee Creek at the state Route 22 bridge site is a lovely swimming and wading site where Lake Watch tests at the bridge. When the Hillabee is low and clear, it generally shows E. coli within safe swimming limits; however, when Hillabee rises following a rain event, it generally shows E. coli well above the ADEM safe swimming limit. 

Lake Watch monitoring on Hillabee, Emuckfaw, Sandy and Blue creeks has been long standing. These streams are major tributaries into Lake Martin. Hillabee, Emuckfaw and Blue creeks have been placed on the 2022 ADEM Sec. 303(d) list as impaired for pathogens, specifically E. coli. E. coli sources include cattle, human and poultry. Going forward, Lake Watch monitoring on these streams needs to be strategically assessed, expanded and supported.

Lake Watch has added test sites where ADEM is not testing, including rain event testing on these 303(d) streams at the same sites ADEM has been using. For example, ADEM has test sites on Hillabee Creek at state Route 22 and at Sanford Road. These ADEM sites are below the confluence of the Little Hillabee and the Enitachopco creeks. So, Lake Watch has recently established test sites above the confluence, one on Little Hillabee and one on the Enitachopco. Lake Watch tests these sites twice a month, including one rain event.

We report our data to AWW and to ADEM (Special efforts by our monitor Dale Campo are acknowledged), which helps to fill in a gap where ADEM data may be missing. It also helps to identify sources of E. coli pollution. Lake Watch works to maintain a good interface with ADEM staff who provide verification and response when data shows the need.

Lake Watch stresses the recreational importance of the streams of the Tallapoosa River watershed. A favorite local canoeing and kayaking run on the Tallapoosa River is from Horseshoe Bend to Jaybird Landing. During swim season, Lake Watch maintains Jaybird Landing as a Lake Watch Swim Alert site. Diligent testing year-round, including rain events, on the Tallapoosa River and on Emuckfaw Creek, provides data important to the clean water advocacy for this popular stretch of the river (Special efforts by monitor John Clements are acknowledged).

When their water level is right, the Chattasofka and Sandy creeks offer kayaking from Dadeville beyond Agricola Road past state Route 49 and down to Lake Martin. Likewise, the upper and middle Tallapoosa River and Crooked Creek in Clay County offer exceptional kayaking and fishing opportunities. The story of the beauty and recreational value of these streams is best told by their adjoining private property owners and those who live and play in these streams. The story includes the potential for economic value to private property owners who provide conservation measures and increased public accessibility for kayaking and fishing. 

Accurate data is a necessary component to a water quality improvement plan that requires many partners up and down the line. Lake Watch is seeking watershed stewards in our Lake Martin and Tallapoosa River Clean Water Priority program. We believe the Alabama Watershed Stewards Program, sponsored by Alabama Cooperative Extension System, AWW and ADEM, is the best available forum for advocacy by Lake Watch and its partners. We are asking state and local government and the university community to join us and help lead us in this program. We are asking Lake Martin and Tallapoosa River area businesses and our county tourism representatives to join us as program partners and sponsors. 

Everyone on the lake and on the river needs to consider best practices and up their games. Lake Watch and our Lake Martin partners are to identify their advocacy regarding on-lake matters that require conservation measures, such as county supervision of new high-density real estate development, private septic system maintenance, construction and post-construction management of storm water runoff. Likewise, we want upstream partners to join in. Agriculture, forestry and our rural communities should expand their best practices to improve the water quality of tributary streams draining into Lake Martin. 

We are familiar with the statement: “Lake Martin is the economic engine of our community.” It is interesting to ponder the examples that make that true. Businesses and organizations in the Lake Martin community should please become Lake Watch program partners and financial supporters.

Contact us by email at info@lakewatch.org to become a monitor, a partner or a program sponsor. Lake Watch acknowledges the good work of its members and the good work of AWW, HOBOs, LMRA and all the lovers of Lake Martin who contribute their time, energy and money. We share in common our advocacy for the clean waters of the Tallapoosa River basin and our Treasured Lake Martin.

Matt Campbell is president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin, Inc., a non-profit, all volunteer, 501(c)(3) environmental organization working to protect the clean water of Lake Martin and the Tallapoosa watershed.

by:  Eric Reutebuch, Director, Lake Watch
 Appeared in October 2023 issue of Lake Magazine

Lake Watch of Lake Martin partnered with Auburn University last year to conduct a scientific study of surface water draining from Lake Martin’s watershed into the lake (see Lake Watch goes hi-tech with AU microbiologist, Lake Magazine – July 2021). The study was funded by a grant from the Alabama Water Resources Research Institute and matching contributions from Lake Watch and Lake Martin HOBO. The study focused on four streams that drain landscapes with mixed land uses and flow into the Tallapoosa River, which then flows into the upper lake.

We observed a proliferation of new chicken houses popping up above the lake and were concerned about what impacts the chicken waste (litter) would have on the waters flowing into Lake Martin. Lake Watch had been testing these streams for a couple of years and had found high levels of E. coli in the streams following significant rain events.

E. coli is a bacterium that inhabits the gut of warm-blooded animals (livestock, wildlife) and humans. Its presence in water indicates fecal contamination – a health risk to those that recreate in the water.

Once Lake Watch discovered the presence of high E. coli in streams above the lake, the next questions were: Where’s the poop coming from, and is it impacting the lake? The AU researchers, Dr. Feng and her graduate student Wenjing Ren, used microbial source tracking to analyze water samples from the four streams and the Tallapoosa River at Jaybird Landing, where Lake Martin begins.

MST employs genetic marker analysis to identify the critters from which the fecal contamination or animal tissue originated – like the testing used on NCIS to identify criminals. The researchers analyzed water for the presence of four different genetic markers: a human bacterial marker; a cattle bacterial marker, a chicken bacterial marker and a chicken tissue marker. E. coli concentrations were also measured.

Water samples were taken on 11 dates from September 2021 through May 2022. Half of the sampling targeted rain events when the streams had elevated flow, and the other half targeted dry periods when the streams were at normal level.

AU results verified Lake Watch monitor test results showing high concentrations of E. coli in the streams mentioned above in the Lake Martin watershed after significant rain events.

To our surprise, humans and cattle were the main sources of fecal contamination in the streams and the river at Jaybird Landing regardless of rainfall/streamflow levels. Both sources were found in all four streams and at Jaybird Landing and were highest after significant rain events. Crooked and Timbergut creeks usually had the highest concentrations of human and cattle genetic markers, as well as the highest concentrations of fecal contamination.

Timbergut Creek had the highest levels of fecal contamination, with six of the 11 sample dates having E. coli levels above EPA standards, mostly after rain events.

Chicken bacterial genetic markers were detected much less frequently, only on three sample dates in only three streams, Timbergut, Emuckfaw and Hillabee and at Jaybird Landing, after rain events.

Chicken tissue genetic markers were detected most frequently (on every sample date, 11 of 11 dates) in one stream, Crooked Creek, and also downstream in the Tallapoosa River at Jaybird Landing, on six of 10 sample dates, after rain events.

So what does this mean for the lake? For the time being, the proliferation of chicken houses above the lake appears to not be a threat to Lake Martin, according to the study. A major consideration is that the litter in chicken houses is only cleaned out once every two to three years. It is conceivable that the study may not have captured the impacts of chicken litter since the study was done over a limited time period (nine months) and could have missed impacts from chicken litter spread on local fields. Another possibility could be that chicken farmers are using appropriate best management practices that retain chicken waste on their fields so very little runs off into streams. And yet another confounding factor – when petroleum prices are high, manufactured fertilizer prices go up, and chicken litter becomes more valuable. Under these circumstances, poultry farmers sell their litter for use by farmers as fertilizer, and it is trucked out of the watershed and has no impact on local water quality. We don’t know the amount of litter spread during the study. Whatever the case may be, we need to keep an eye on the expanding poultry production in our watershed.

Based on the results of the AU study, it appears that we do have an issue with human and cattle waste in streams emptying into the river and ultimately into the upper lake. We need to work on tracking down these sources of contamination and get them resolved.

The detection of chicken tissue markers coming down Crooked Creek on every sampling date and detection at the beginning of the lake at Jaybird Landing was also a surprise. More testing is needed to determine the source of chicken tissue in Crooked Creek. We don’t yet know the implications of this finding and will need assistance to determine whether this poses any threat to lake users. We’ll keep you posted.

Be sure to check the Lake Watch Swim Alert at lakewatch.org/swim-guide to get the latest E. coli test results throughout the lake and at Hillabee and Emuckfaw creeks. Be safe and enjoy the water. And consider helping us out in our mission to protect our treasured lake, go to lakewatch.org/our-programs to learn more. 

Learn more about Lake Watch at lakewatch.org.

Lake Watcher

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin                                                    No. 58, February 2022 
by Eric Reutebuch

2021 Achievements:

·   31 sites monitored for water chemistry and bacteria in Lake Martin and its Watershed

·   Added 4 new uper lake sites to assess bacterial contamination

·   280 data records submitted to the AWW water quality database 

·   Contributed data to ADEM 303d list

·   Recruited 11 new water monitors 

·   Partnering with AU on watershed bacteria investigation

·   Investigated graphite processing operation coming to Kellyton


Lake Watch Officers*:

Eric Reutebuch…President

Matt Campbell….Vice-president

Dianna Porter…...Secretary

Janne Debes…….Treasurer



LW Board of Directors:

Joanne Walker        Dick Bronson          

Myrna Lehman      Laurie Barrett

Tom Collier           Jesse Cunningham

Bill Butler

(*Lake Watch officers also serve on board)


Annual Meeting

 The Lake Watch annual meeting will be held on:

 Sunday, April 24, 2022

1-3:30 pm (registration 1-1:30 pm; program 1:30-3:30 pm)

Red Ridge United Methodist Church

8091 Co Rd 34, Dadeville, AL

 We are pleased to have Dr. Bill Deutsch, founder and long-time director of Alabama Water Watch, as our guest speaker, who will give us an overview on 30 years of watching the water on Lake Martin. The meeting is contingent upon covid conditions, we will meet if we can do so safely. We are looking forward to some new faces on our board, as some folks that have served for many years are rotating off. Masking will be encouraged. I’ll keep you posted as the time grows near.

Letter from the President

 It goes without saying that 2021 was another very challenging year! I hope and pray that all of you and your families made it through safely! In spite of the pandemic, Lake Watchers were busy in their efforts to protect our treasured lake.

 Matt and Ann Campbell continue watershed monitoring above the lake, now into its third year. The effort is focused on streams, Crooked, Emuckfaw, Timbergut, and Hillabee, flowing into the Tallapoosa River (which flows into Lake Martin) that are being populated with chicken houses (at last count two years ago, around 120 houses). Data thus far shows:

·        high bacterial concentrations in the water after significant rainfall/runoff events,

·        high E. coli and high levels of yet unidentified bacteria characterized by turquoise colonies during these events.

The Auburn University bacteria study led by Dr. Yucheng Feng began last September to help verify bacterial loading into streams above the lake, and to help identify the sources of the bacteria. Dr. Feng and her graduate student Wenjing Ren have been sampling alongside Matt and Ann in the watershed above the lake. We are eagerly awaiting their microbial source tracking results from the streams and the river to shine some light on the sources of the bacterial contamination.

 As you may recall, we measured high bacterial concentrations downstream, in the upper end of Lake Martin last fall (see E. coli prompts call for swim alerts, Alexander City Outlook, 12/21/2021). This event, which occurred after a high rain event, made us realize two things: 1) the need for more monitors and monitoring; and 2) the need for an efficient way to get the word out to the public when we find high E. coli in the lake and other water-recreation areas. I put out a call for help to Lake Watch members, and Harry DeNegre, Lake Martin HOBO president, sent the call out to the HOBO membership. I was very pleased at the response – nearly 30 folks offered to help monitor! Eleven got trained by Alabama Water Watch in December and will begin monitoring this spring. THANK YOU to AWW, HOBO, and to all the folks that stepped up to protect our lake!

 We are focusing on Swim Guide as the medium to broadcast our bacteriological test results to the Lake Martin community. Swim Guide is a web-based one-stop shop for swimming-area water quality information. I added two swim beaches on Lake Martin – Wind Creek and Dare Park, several years ago, see www.theswimguide.org/find/ . We plan to add several more, monitor them regularly, and post the results on Swim Guide. The postings will be made available on various websites so that the Lake Martin community can access the information easily. We believe this will help keep everyone safe as we work to resolve bacterial contamination issues that arise.

 In addition to the watershed monitoring, our monitors continue to diligently test sites throughout the lake. This is not only crucial for detecting any negative impacts from pollutants coming from the watershed down the Tallapoosa River, but also crucial for detecting impacts from potential sources from streams that flow directly into the lake.

 In response to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) call for input for compiling their 2022 303(d) list of impaired streams, we pulled together our Lake Watch data and sent it to ADEM, along with recommendations to consider adding several watershed streams above the lake to the 303(d) list, since we have measured high E. coli in them on several occasions. The Draft 303(d) List (see www.adem.alabama.gov/programs/water/303d.cnt )  was recently released by ADEM, and one of those streams is now listed – Hillabee Creek. We are pleased that Lake Watch data is being used to alert ADEM to pollution issues in our watershed and will continue our interactions with ADEM to resolve these issues. We are also concerned to see that Blue Creek has been added to the draft list for E. coli – we need to investigate this further. Other listings include Coley Creek for excess nutrients (presumably from the wastewater treatment plant discharge there) resulting in high chlorophyll a/algae concentrations, and Elkahatchee Creek for mercury prompting a fish consumption advisory from the Alabama Department of Public Health. 

We were very concerned last fall when we learned that the graphite mining operation in the Weogufka area to the west would be processing their ore in Kellyton and the processing wastewater would flow to Lake Martin. I contacted Mayor Baird to discuss our concerns and learn about the proposed operation. We had a very productive meeting with city officials and Alabama Graphite and got all of our questions answered. We came away feeling that the lake will not be adversely impacted as long as construction and operation go as planned and wastewater contaminants stay within permitted limits – we remain observant.

 In closing, after serving two terms, I am hanging up my spurs as president. I feel that new blood is needed to continue the good work of the group. I will rotate to the Lake Watch board and continue working to advance the goals of lake and watershed stewardship as best I can. I am optimistic that 2022 is going to be a productive year for Lake Watch and for our lake. I’ve seen a growing interest in protecting our treasured lake and hope to see a growth in our membership and watershed stewardship activities. Y’all stay safe and I hope to see you at our annual meeting!

 Elections

 The Lake Watch board met via Zoom on January 24, 2022 to discuss our plans for this year. We had a good meeting to discuss our goals and objectives to strengthen Lake Watch and to continue the protection of our Treasured Lake. We had three board members retire from the board: Jesse Cunningham (with his better half Barbara, left picture) and Tom Collier (middle picture) and Laurie Barrett (right picture). I extend my heart-felt appreciation to Jesse, Tom and Laurie for their many years of service) – THANK YOU!

    
The Lake Watch board received the nomination of MATT CAMPBELL (pictured below) for our new president! Matt and Ann have monitored for years. Matt has served on the board, led our Legal Committee, advocated for our lake at ADEM in Montgomery, and is leading the monitoring efforts in our watershed bacteriological monitoring of watershed streams above the lake. THANK YOU Matt for stepping up!

 The Lake Watch board also received nomination of Bill Butler (pictured on left) for vice-president. Bill has monitored for several years, served on the board and worked on the Legal Committee. THANK YOU Bill for stepping up!

 And THANK YOU to all of our officers and board members that re-upped for another term: Dianna Porter, Janne Debes, Dick Bronson, Myrna Lehman, Joanne Walker for your efforts, ideas and actions in advancing our Lake Watch goals!

 Budget

 At our January board meeting, our Treasurer, Janne Debes, reported that for 2021 Lake Watch had more funds come in but we had bigger expenses. We had 126 dues-paying members. We started 2021 with $5,768 and ended the year at $5,570. The biggest expense, as usual, was our monitoring supplies, $2,478. The second largest expense were contributions in support of Dr. Feng’s bacteriological study, $2,155 (to support the study plus additional testing in upper Lake Martin).

 We anticipate additional expenditures this year for: supplying our 11 new monitors with testing supplies, conducting some new tests for other pathenogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Enterococcus), and possibly having Dr. Feng run more microbial source tracking analyses beyond the scope of the current study. Thus, we will be actively seeking more funding this year – all contributions are most welcome. A big THANK YOU to all who support Lake Watch through annual dues and donations, especially our Silver, Gold and Platinum donors! We couldn’t operate without your support!

 Water Monitoring

The Lake Watch volunteer water monitors continue to watch over our lake through their diligent monthly water testing. They conducted 280 water tests (167 water chemistry records and 113 bacteria records). Our 31 Lake Watch monitoring are mapped below; green=active sites, red=inactive sites; a few of our new sites have not yet been updated to green on the map), from Crooked Creek (the lake’s headwaters near Lineville) down to the Martin Dam. I am happy to report that our volunteer water monitors’ data, for the most part, showed good water quality throughout the boundaries of the lake. There were however some violations of ADEM water quality standards.

The violations were all due to fecal contamination measured as elevated E. coli levels in the water. E. coli measurements ranged from 0 – 6,700 E. coli per 100 mL of water (or 3 ½ ounces, about half a cup). Of the 113 E. coli measurements, 26 (23%) were above the ADEM standard: 235 E. coli/100 mL maximum for waters used for swimming and other whole-body contact (see table below showing dates when E. coli were above the standard).

 Most of these high E. coli measurements occurred in streams (not the lake), which also showed the highest levels of contamination. Very high values (ranging from 1,067 – 6,700) were measured in Timbergut, Emuckfaw, Crooked, Little Sandy and Sandy creeks.

 E. coli concentrations above the ADEM standard were occasionally measured in the lake at five different locations (see map below):

 Lake above Hwy 280 bridge: 

1. above Andrew Jackson & below confluence with Hillabee Creek

 2. above the confluence of the lake with Coley Creek

 Lake below Hwy 280 bridge: 

3. at Gatewood Dr on Blue Creek Embayment

 4. at Kowaliga boat ramp near Kowaliga Bridge

 5. at Kowaliga Marina near Kowaliga Bridge

 We are continuing our work to not only identify areas in the lake and its watershed that are contaminated with fecal matter (E. coli), but also working to identify where the contamination is coming from and get the perpetrators to clean up their act.

 As you may know, we’ve expanded our sampling into the watershed above the lake, led by Matt and Ann Campbell. Last year, we worked with Dr. Feng, an AU professor specializing in microbiology, and her graduate student Wenjing in securing a grant to study bacteria in streams and the Tallapoosa River above the lake. They are employing microbial source tracking (MST) to aid in identifying where the bacteria are coming from (see Lake Watch goes hi-tech with AU microbiologist, July 2021 Lake Magazine, www.lakewatch.org/Lake-Magazine-Articles). They have been sampling alongside Matt and Ann since September of last year.

 Side-by-side testing has thus far verified that high levels of E. coli are flowing down the streams above the lake, particularly after rain events; and that the E. coli are flowing down the Tallapoosa River into the upper end of Lake Martin (see E. coli prompts call for swim alerts, Oct 21, 2021 Alexander City Outlook, www.lakewatch.org/News).

 We also have preliminary source tracking data that indicate humans, cattle and chickens were the sources of the E. coli entering the upper lake last fall. We will have a much better picture of sources when we get the full MST dataset from the various streams being test – Crooked Creek, Emuckfaw Creek, Timbergut Creek, Hillabee Creek, and the Tallapoosa River at Horseshoe Bend. We’ll keep you posted.

 Matt, risking life and limb for our lake.               

Ann and Wenjing sampling Timbergut Creek

 Let’s look at water chemistry data. Examination of the 167 water chemistry data records indicated no issues with dissolved oxygen (DO) in the lake or in any of the streams being monitored. DO measurements ranged from 5.2 – 11.1 parts per million (ppm; which is the same as mg/Liter). DO is critical in maintaining aquatic life. If DO drops below 5 ppm, aquatic life suffers, and if the drop is severe (down to ~ 1 ppm) fish will die.

Water hardness and alkalinity generally indicate the amount of limestone dissolved in the water. Hardness and alkalinity measurements can be dramatically increased from point source (for example, textile mill effluent) and nonpoint source pollutants (for example, ag lime washed off fields). Hardness in the lake and streams ranged from 10 – 40 in the lake and streams with a single high value of 70 in Sandy Creek. The lake typically ranged from 10 – 30, indicating a soft-water lake. The higher values occurred in some of the streams that were influenced by pollutants.

Alkalinity ranged from 15 – 50 ppm. The lake typically ranged from 15 – 30 ppm, which also indicates a soft-water lake. The higher values occurring in some of the streams.

pH, the measure of the acidity or basicity of the water, ranged from 6.5 – 8.5 in the lake and streams. This range falls within the optimal range for healthy fish and other aquatic critter growth.

Turbidity and Secchi disk measurements indicated that the water was turbid/muddy on occasion, typically in the streams and embayments, and in the mainstem lake after heavy rains.

Overall, water chemistry measurements indicated a healthy lake with no significant water quality issues relative to the water chemistry parameters measured.

We are excited about our 11 new water monitors that will start monitoring this spring. We have worked up a list of priority sites for them on the lake and on streams flowing into the lake, especially emphasizing swimming areas such as DARE Park, Wind Creek State Park, Camp Alamisco, and Camp ASCCA. These areas are particularly important since lots of folks swim at these places all summer long (see map below).

 Join me in giving a big THANK YOU to all of our 2021 Lake Watch volunteer monitors:

S  Allen Sneed                                      

S  Bill Butler                     

S  Matt & Ann Campbell             

S  Joanne Walker                        

S  Edwin Eiswerth                       

S  Kathryn Braund

S  Mike Guillot                                     

S  Janne Debes

S  Eric Reutebuch

S  Connie Wheatley

S  Paul Sullivan

Swim Alert

When we detected high E. coli in the upper lake for the first time last September, we realized that we needed an efficient way of getting our results out to the Lake Martin community to help protect the public from contacting pathogenic fecal bacteria and getting sick. The Coosa Riverkeeper has been using the Swim Guide (www.theswimguide.org) as their medium to efficiently post their bacteria test results and disseminate them to the public (see coosariver.org/swimguide). We plan to do the same for priority sites like swim beaches (DARE Park, Wind Creek State Park, etc.) starting this year. We are working on identifying all priority sites that we want to include as our Lake Watch Swim Guide sites and recruiting monitors to test them regularly for E. coli so that we can post them on Swim Guide and get the results out to the public in a timely manner. We’ll keep you posted.

 Lake Watch Environmental Education Efforts

As you can imagine environmental education efforts were stifled last year because of the pandemic. None-the-less, efforts will resume when it is safe to once again gather with students and community members. We’ll keep you posted.

Closing Thoughts

YOU are what makes Lake Watch of Lake Martin work! We urge each of our Lake Watch members to spread the word about Lake Watch, to support our programs and to participate – give your neighbor a Lake Watch brochure and a pep talk. Help sign up new members to our team! Consider becoming a monitor or a trainer. Consider an additional donation to Lake Watch! Not everyone can get out and monitor water, or teach in a classroom, or give a presentation, but each member is essential to our success. We welcome your suggestions/ideas on how to better protect our lake from emerging threats.
Together, we can 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 30 years. Go visit your neighbor and convince him or her to sign up. Signing up is easy, just go to our website, www.lakewatch.org and click the menu item ‘Get Involved’, you’ll be glad you did!

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 paid their dues for 2022, THANK YOU!  And for those who haven’t yet, don't forget to pay/join online (preferred) or send your check to:

P. O. Box 72, Alexander City, AL 35010

Membership levels are listed below:

Regular dues (annual):     Student  $15      Individual  $20         Family  $30

Lake Martin Steward:       Silver     $50      Gold  $100                 Platinum  $250

We also welcome donations of any amount.  Don't forget – a donation in someone's honor/ memory is a lovely tribute.

    P. O.  Box 72

  Alexander City, AL 35010

LAKE WATCHER

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin No. 56, January 2021
by Eric Reutebuch

2020 Achievements:

• 31 sites monitored for water chemistry and bacteria in the Lake Martin Watershed
• Added 5 watershed monitoring sites above the lake to assess poultry expansion's impact
• 302 data records submitted to the AWW water quality database
• Lobbied vigorously with community partners for strengthening CAFO regulations, particularly for poultry

 Lake Watch Officers*:

Eric Reutebuch, President
Matt Campbell, Vice President
Dianna Porter, Secretary
Janne Debes, Treasurer

LW Board of Directors:

Joanne Walker
Dick Bronson      
Myrna Lehman
Laurie Barrett
Tom Collier
Jesse Cunningham
Bill Butler

(*Lake Watch officers also serve on board)

Letter from the President

It goes without saying that 2020 was a very challenging year! I hope and pray that all of you and your families made it through safely! In spite of the pandemic, it was a busy and challenging year for Lake Watch after our annual meeting on February 23, 2020. The meeting went well.

We were pleased to award Zelma and Raymond DePasquale the 2020 Woodfin Martin Award in appreciation for their many efforts in environmental education at Radney Elementary, conducting Living Streams at Camp ASCCA and Birmingham, their long-time water monitoring efforts, and service on the Lake Watch Board of Directors. Congratulations Zelma and Raymond!

The 2020 Bronson Environmental Stewardship was awarded to Bruce Adams, Superintendent of Wind Creek State Park for his support and participation in the annual Lake Martin Renew Our Rivers Cleanup; his support of a bacteria testing program at the park’s public swimming beach conducted by Auburn scientists and Lake Watch volunteers in an effort to evaluate risks from bacteria for swimmers (the tests indicated no areas for concern at the Wind Creek State Park beach); his support to include the State Park’s swimming beach in an international database called Swim Guide; and his collaboration with Lake Watch in the construction of an environmental education kiosk promoting lake stewardship efforts.  Mr. Adams has been a strong advocate of environmental protection, especially for the park and Lake Martin, an environmental educator to thousands, and a partner in many Lake Watch stewardship efforts. Congratulations Mr. Adams!

We were pleased to have Lance LeFleur, Director, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, as our speaker at our last annual meeting. Director LeFleur and Richard Hulcher informed us on ADEM’s regulation of poultry production, which is greatly expanding in the Middle Tallapoosa Basin just above the lake. I consider the expansion of poultry farms above the lake to be the most significant potential threat to our lake’s water quality. Aside from our routine monthly monitoring, the poultry expansion and regulation issue consumed most of our efforts in 2020.

At that time (February 2020), we had a couple of sample results from our above-lake bacteriological monitoring program that was initiated by Matt Campbell in the fall of 2019, and is ongoing. Those samples did not indicate any high E. coli coming down the three monitored streams: Crooked, Emuckfaw, and Timbergut, that were selected to sample because of the significant numbers of poultry farms in their watersheds. One caveat – there were no significant rain events during these early sample runs.

We continued sampling, adding Hillabee Creek in August of last year, specifically during and immediately after rain events. We tried to target significant rain events that covered the whole Middle Tallapoosa Watershed (where the four streams flow through and then drain into the Tallapoosa River, which drains into the lake).  That made a BIG difference. We started seeing E. coli contamination in thousands per 100 milliliters of water (about a half-cup of water). It makes sense for the high bacteria counts to occur directly following a significant rain event since that’s when chicken manure (litter) is washed off the landscape and into nearby streams, assuming you get enough rain. The chicken litter is typically spread on fields as fertilizer – it is a good fertilizer and it adds organic matter to the soil improving soil texture. But, when it is flushed into streams, it causes bacterial contamination (E. coli, Salmonella, etc.), unwanted nutrient enrichment (increases algae blooms), and organic matter contamination (which can deplete dissolved oxygen when it decomposes in the water).

In addition to the watershed monitoring, our monitors continue to diligently test sites throughout the lake. This is not only crucial for detecting any negative impacts from pollutants coming from the watershed down the Tallapoosa River, but also crucial for detecting impacts from potential sources from streams that flow directly into the lake (Coley, Elkahatchee, Dennis, Blue, etc.).

See Water Monitoring below for more details on Lake Watch results for 2020.

Our other main activity last year was addressing the proposed changes in ADEM’s Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) regulations. CAFO regulations include regulations over the ever-expanding poultry farms sprouting up in our watershed above the lake – thus we were both interested and concerned. See Lake Watch Legal Committee Efforts below for more details.

In closing, I am optimistic that 2021 is going to be a good productive year for Lake Watch and for our lake. I’ve seen a growing interest in protecting our treasured lake and hope to see a growth in our membership and watershed stewardship activities. Y’all stay safe and I hope to see you later this year!

Annual Meeting

Due to the continuing and rapid spread of the coronavirus, the Lake Watch board has decided to postpone our annual meeting. We will continue to monitor the spread of the virus and the rollout of the vaccine. We will plan the meeting when it is deemed safe. All, please stay safe and stay healthy.

Elections

The Lake Watch board met via Zoom on January 18, 2021 to discuss our plans for this year. We had a good meeting to discuss our goals and objectives to strengthen Lake Watch and to continue, and increase, the protection of our Treasured Lake. We had two long-time board members retire from the board: Judy Palfrey (left picture) and Zelma DePasquale (right picture). I extend my heart-felt appreciation to Judy and Zelma for their years of service – as board members, as monitors, as teachers of the public and in schools, as monitor trainer/coordinator (Judy)  and Vice President (Judy) – THANK YOU!

The Lake Watch board received a nomination for Vice President and unanimously elected MATT CAMPBELL (right picture) as our new VP! Matt and Ann have monitored for years. Matt has led our Legal Committee, and is leading the monitoring efforts in our watershed bacteriological monitoring of watershed streams above the lake. THANK YOU Matt for stepping up!

The Lake Watch board was also happy to accept Janne Debes (left picture) to a second term as Treasurer! Janne has monitored for years, has been AWW Monitor of The Year for the past couple of years, and served on our board. THANK YOU Janne for stepping up!

And THANK YOU to all of our board members for your efforts, ideas and actions in guiding our Lake Watch efforts!

Budget

Our Treasurer Janne reported to the board that for 2020 Lake Watch had fewer expenses and increased membership dues contributions. We had 126 dues-paying members. We started 2020 with $5,032 and ended the year at $5,768. I’d say we’re in good shape with one caveat: we will have additional expenditures with our plans of increased water testing in the watershed above the lake, and particularly with running genetic sourcing tests in the watershed to identify where the E. coli are coming from (which animal(s) – humans, pets, wildlife, livestock, and/or poultry). Thus, all contributions are most welcome. And a big THANK YOU to all who support Lake Watch through annual dues and donations, especially our Silver, Gold and Platinum donors! We couldn’t operate without your support!

Water Monitoring

The Lake Watch volunteer water monitors continue to watch over our lake through their diligent monthly water testing. Unfortunately, Lake Watch lost eight monitors last year ☹.  We are in need of new monitors! We also need citizen water monitor trainers! I have a list of five individuals who want to get trained as monitors – we’re just waiting for a safe time to do it. If you know of anybody that you think would be interested in water monitoring – ask them, and if they’re willing let me know and I’ll add them to my list!

In spite of the loss of monitors, water testing actually increased in 2020! Lake Watch monitors conducting 302 water tests (192 water chemistry records and 110 bacteria records) compared to 216 total records last year. Lake Watch monitoring sites also increased from 24 to 31 sites last year (see 2019 and 2020 site maps on the next page; green=active sites, red=inactive sites), from Crooked Creek (the lake’s headwaters near Lineville) down to the Martin Dam. I am happy to report that our volunteer water monitors’ data showed good water quality throughout the boundaries of the lake. No violations of ADEM water quality standards were reported.

It was a different story for the streams flowing into the lake, and those flowing into the Tallapoosa River which then flows into the lake. Our watershed sampling above the lake indicated high loads of E. coli bacteria (indicating fecal contamination in the water) during rain event sampling. We saw this repeatedly on Crooked Creek near Lineville, Emuckfaw Creek near Horseshoe Bend and Timbergut Creek near New Site, each time we sampled during rain events. All of these streams have significant numbers of poultry houses that have popped up in their watersheds, and all drain to the river that then drains to the lake. High E. coli was also seen once in the Tallapoosa River at Horseshoe Bend.

Lake Watch will continue our sampling of these streams, as well as Hillabee Creek and the Tallapoosa River. Our citizens who recreate on these streams and rivers know how lovely they are, and indeed their water quality is very good to excellent, except at times of heavy rainfall and higher water levels. The high quality of the many tributary streams in our Tallapoosa Watershed must be preserved and protected against degradation.

Bacteria plates showing E. coli contamination (blue colonies) in Crooked Creek last October – there should be no more than 3 E. coli per plate to be within ADEM’s regulations, these had ~ 91 per plate!     E. coli counts are shown graphically below. Dashed red line indicates ADEM limit of 298 E. coli per 100 mL of water for a single sample during the warm season.

 Lake Watch submitted e-complaints to ADEM to document the high E. coli counts that were seen from three of the streams in the lake’s watershed. This alerted ADEM to the situation as well as documented the contamination in ADEM’s complaint system.

The following streams contained E. coli above ADEM’s State Fish & Wildlife standard of 298 E. coli/100 mL of water (Summer standard for single sample test). Values are averages of triplicate samples using the AWW Coliscan Easygel bacteriological test:

6/10/2020 e-complaint:
Crooked Creek at Watts residence off Berwick Rd: 1,400 E. coli/100 mL

10/20/2020 e-complaint:
Crooked Creek at Watts residence off Berwick Rd: 9,100 E. coli/100 mL;
Emuckfaw Creek at HWY 49 Bridge: 2,833 E. coli/100 mL;
Timbergut Creek at Tallapoosa CR 100 Bridge: 3,067 E. coli/100 mL

We plan to continue monitoring key streams above the lake for bacteria, specifically E. coli, along with genetic source tracking analyses to determine the source of the fecal contamination. Sampling will focus on significant rainfall/runoff events to check for potential impacts from poultry operations near these streams.

 Join me in giving a big THANK YOU to all of our Lake Watch volunteer monitors: 

• Allen Sneed
• Bill Butler 
• Matt & Ann Campbell
• Joanne Walker
• Edwin Eiswerth
• Connie Wheatley
• Mike Guillot
• Marge Johnson
• Janne Debes
• Judy Palfrey
• Eric Reutebuch
• Dianna Porter*
• John Owen*

*Pictured at right sampling at Timbergut Creek

Note that some areas of the lake still go unmonitored, particularly the tributary streams flowing directly into the lake (Coley, Elkahatchee, Dennis, Manoy, Little Kowaliga, Wind, Oakachoy, Chapman, and Parker creeks) as folks move away and long-time volunteers retire their test kits, so we are always in need of new water monitors. If you think it’s a necessity to have an insurance policy for your home and your car, think the same way about your lake – insure it through your involvement and investment 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.

 Lake Watch Legal Committee Efforts

 Lake Watch Legal Committee members had a busy year in 2020, focused on ADEM CAFO regulations. Eric submitted comments to ADEM in June of 2020. Three items were identified that we thought needed addressed in the annual 5-year CAFO regulations review:

1.      lack of public visibility of pending registration for new CAFOs in the state,

2.      lack of adequate vegetated stream buffers between CAFOs and streams, especially for our Treasured Alabama Lake,

3.      lack of adequate inspection and enforcement of existing CAFO regulations.

ADEM sent a response letter back saying that their existing regs were adequate.

In September, it was discovered that ADEM was proposing a new set of CAFO regulations thanks to the eagle-eye of Matt Campbell. These State CAFO regulations, if approved, would allow a CAFO operator to opt out of the existing Federal CAFO regulations. The Legal Committee, under Matt’s leadership, felt that the proposed State CAFO regulation option was not strong or protective enough to maintain clean water and went virtually unnoticed by the public and even environmental advocates. Very few people knew about this highly significant proposed shift in CAFO regulations, which could have a profound impact on our lake. The Legal Committee tried to get the word out to the greater Lake Martin area community, and asked that folks send letters to ADEM objecting to the change in regulations until the public was informed and the regulations were further strengthened. It was reported that ADEM received around 100 letters!

THANKS to all of you who raised your hands in support of the lake!

THANKS to Lake Martin HOBO and LMRA and the Alexander City Mayor and the Outlook for calling for letters to support the lake!

Well, notwithstanding those 100 letters including numerous letters from the Lake Watch President and Legal Committee, and trips to Montgomery by Matt and Jesse Cunningham, the proposed regulations were passed. For a deeper look at the results of the meeting, check out the Lake Magazine January 2021 article: ADEM promises improved oversight of 'Treasured' waters at: https://www.lakemagazine.life/lake_news/adem-promises-improved-oversight-of-treasured-waters/article_748dc5e2-5770-11eb-941f-c70d8fa29e9a.html .

All is not lost though! As a result of this, the Lake Martin community united like never before in support of clean water. We plan to strengthen community partnerships and strengthen stewardship of Lake Martin in the coming months.

Lake Watch Environmental Education Efforts

As you can imagine environmental education efforts were stifled last year because of the pandemic. None-the-less, efforts will resume when it is safe to once again gather with students and community members. We’ll keep you posted.

Trash Cleanup

Last year’s annual Renew Our Rivers (ROR) cleanup on Lake Martin has removed more than 160 tons of trash from Lake Martin. LMRA president, John Thompson has been coordinating the lake clean up, in coordination with Alabama Power and several other partners since 2006, along with over 2000 volunteers. Lake Watch members Ken and Tanya Holland, along with Tanya’s sister Tammie McVickers and Tanya’s mother, Shirley Cook extended a huge helping hand again this year, going way above and beyond the call of duty in their efforts to clean up the lake (as they’ve done for many years). They spend several weekends before the official cleanup collecting and bagging trash in sloughs for easy pickup during the ROR cleanup. Let’s all extend a big THANK YOU to all of the ROR volunteers! Ps., can you find our two Bronson Environmental Stewardship Award winners, John Thompson, Director of LMRA, and Bruce Adams, Superintendent of Wind Creek State Park, as well as Ken and Tanya and Tammie and Shirley in the picture of volunteers above (Source: Lake Magazine).

Plans for 2021

The Lake Watch board met on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 to debrief on the December 11 meeting of the Environmental Management Commission where ADEM’s proposed CAFO regulations were passed. The board discussed next steps in light of the passing of the new State CAFO regulations, which follow:

1. Have additional board members get on ADEM’s notification list so we don’t miss any key announcements by ADEM that pertain to Lake Martin and its watershed.
2. Try to identify the folks that took the initiative to send in letters of support for our opposition to request that they join in our 2021 efforts and work toward coalescing this group to proceed with measures to protect our lake.
3. Continue cultivating relationships with key ADEM personnel to aid in our efforts to protect the lake.
4. Request updates from ADEM personnel on ADEM water monitoring and CAFO inspections in our watershed.
5. Maintain/increase monitoring of key streams that have significant poultry production, including bacteria (E. coli) monitoring and also genetic source tracking analyses to identify the source(s) of fecal contamination in streams that flow into Lake Martin.
6. Develop a Fact Sheet for public outreach that clearly defines threats to the lake from CAFOs.
7. Investigate strengthening the Treasured Alabama Lake designation of Lake Martin to extend protections beyond the lake to the whole watershed, including the streams and the Tallapoosa River that drain into the lake.

We welcome all who are willing and able to help us accomplish these objectives! We need you!

We also welcome your suggestions/ideas on accomplishing these objectives and other ideas on how to better protect our lake from emerging threats.

Closing Thoughts

YOU are what makes Lake Watch of Lake Martin work! We urge each of our Lake Watch members to spread the word about Lake Watch, to support our programs and to participate. 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, or give a presentation, but each member is essential to our success.

Together, we can 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 29 years. Go visit your neighbor and convince him or her to sign up. Signing up is easy, just go to our  website, www.lakewatch.org and click the menu item ‘Get Involved’.

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 2021, 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 of any amount.  Don't forget–a donation in someone's honor/memory is a lovely gift/tribute.

LAKE WATCHER

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin  No. 55, January 2020
by Eric Reutebuch

2019 Achievements:

• 24 sites monitored for water chemistry and bacteria in the Lake Martin Watershed
• 216 data records submitted to the AWW water quality database
• Educated hundreds of children and adults about lake and watershed stewardship
• Installed educational kiosk at Wind Creek State Park in partnership with the park
• Supported the Tallapoosa County Water Festival with funding and people-power

Lake Watch Officers:

Eric Reutebuch, President
Judy Palfrey, Vice President
Dianna Porter, Secretary
Janne Debes, Treasurer

LW Board of Directors:

Matt Campbell      
George Zorn
Myrna Lehman
Laurie Barrett
Tom Collier
Jesse Cunningham
Dick Bronson
Zelma dePasquale  
Joanne Walker

Lake Watch Annual Meeting February 23, 2020    

The Lake Watch Annual Meeting will be Sunday, February 23, 2020, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at the StillWaters Residential Association Centre inside StillWaters Resort (1816 StillWaters Drive, Dadeville, AL; map and directions below). The meeting will be followed by a social from 3:30-4:00 pm, with hors d'oeuvres, dessert and beverages, BYOB if you desire.  We ask that you pre-register online so that we have a head count to prepare adequate seating and refreshments.

Register for the meeting at www.lakewatch.org . Click the Events menu on the left side of the homepage, then under Upcoming events click Lake Watch of Lake Martin Annual Meeting, then the Register button, and follow instructions – be sure to add the proper number of ‘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 check in at the door at the meeting for an agenda, to update your Lake Watch contact info if needed, and for newbees – to become a Lake Watch member.

We are pleased to have Lance LeFleur, Director, Alabama Department of Environmental Management, to inform us on the emergence of poultry production in the Middle Tallapoosa Basin just above the lake and its environmental consequences relative to the water quality of our lake.

 Lake Watch president, Eric Reutebuch, will give an overview of results from Lake Watch volunteer water quality monitoring throughout the lake, including an update on our monitoring of streams with significant poultry production that flow into the lake.  The meeting will be followed by social at 3:30-4:00 pm. Go to the Lake Watch website to register for the meeting (www.lakewatch.org).

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.

Lake Watch Leadership and Budget

Changes in our leadership in 2019 included Judy Palfrey taking over as vice-president and Tom Collier joining our board of directors; and the loss of board of director Kathryn Braund and the addition of Laurie Barrett to replace her – THANK YOU Kathryn for your many years of service on the board and as president, and THANK YOU Judy, Tom and Laurie for stepping up! And a big THANKS to all of our officers and board members, and to Kathryn for posting updates on our website!

Lake Watch budget: end-of-year balance as of 12/31/2018 = $6,298; 2019 expenditures = $4,185; 2019 donations and dues = $2,920, end-of-year balance as of 12/31/2019 = $5,033. A big THANK YOU to all who’ve sent their annual dues in, especially to those who have donated at the Silver ($50; six donors), Gold ($100; one donor); and Platinum ($250; two donors). As you probably know, most of the Lake Watch budget is spent on the purchase of water testing supplies. Membership funds are also used to cover costs to spread the word of watershed stewardship, water conservation, to advocate for clean water, and to encourage others to join in our efforts. The website, newsletter, and teaching supplies are all part of these costs. One significant one-time expense in 2019 of $1,052 was the construction of an environmental education kiosk in Wind Creek State Park. The park graciously provided the labor and Lake Watch provided materials and posters, see Chickens in the Watershed (pages 7-8; courtesy of Lake Magazine) for more details on this successful partnership.

Water Monitoring 

Judy Palfrey served as Lake Watch water monitoring coordinator for several years, ensuring that Lake Watch monitors have adequate supplies to do their water testing. Janne Debes took over for Judy in 2019. THANK YOU Judy for your many years of service as water monitoring coordinator, and THANK YOU Janne for stepping up to replace her! And a big THANKS to all of our dedicated water monitors!! 

Lake Watch gained seven new AWW-certified water monitors in 2019, Ken and Tonya Holland, Marge Johnson, Connie Wheatley, Cherie Stephenson, John Owen and Shani Smith.  Lake Watch volunteer monitors have increased monitoring throughout the lake and tributaries to 216 water tests (161 water chemistry records and 55 bacteria records; compared to 200 total records last year) at 24 sites (up from 20 sites last year); from Crooked Creek (near Lineville) down to Martin Dam. Three of these sites are on streams above the lake draining areas containing significant poultry production, a recent development in the Lake Martin Watershed that we are very concerned about.

2018 Sites:

2019 Sites:

I am happy to report that our volunteer water monitors’ data showed good water quality throughout the lake, and in streams that flow into the lake. No violations of ADEM water quality standards were reported. We plan to continue monitoring key streams above the lake for bacteria, specifically E. coli, particularly after significant rainfall/runoff events to check for potential impacts from poultry operations near these streams. 

Note that some areas of the lake still go unmonitored, particularly the tributary streams flowing into the lake, as folks move away and long-time volunteers retire their test kits, so we are always in need of new water monitors. If you think it’s a necessity to have an insurance policy for your home and your car, think the same way about your lake – insure it through your involvement and investment 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.

Lake Watch Environmental Education Efforts
By Dianna Porter

 Earth Day Celebration at Keebler Park, Dadeville: we had an estimated crowd of about 500 visit Keebler Park to celebrate Earth Day.  Judy Palfrey and Mandi Milford set up the Enviroscape right in the middle of a large example of a watershed.  The kids could see firsthand how pollution could travel downhill and into streams, and how pollution in the streams affect macroinvertebrates, fish, waterfowl and people. This year Keebler Park will be celebrating its 3^rd Annual Earth Day Celebration on April the 25^th 2020. More information to come on the Celebration.

Tallapoosa County Water Festival at Wind Creek State Park:   Judy and I taught the kids about the Water Cycle – precipitation, infiltration, transportation, evaporation and condensation.  We assisted the students in making a water cycle bracelet.  Making the bracelets reinforced what they had just learned about the Water Cycle.

Judy trained several new water monitors and recertified several existing monitors in 2019 – thanks Judy!

Judy and I attended the ACES Alabama Watershed Stewards Workshop and the updated AWW Exploring Our Living Streams Workshop in August. We both completed the 4-H Independent Volunteer curriculum and we are actively implementing an approved Alabama Water Watch program at Dadeville High School.

 Along with Matt Campbell, Judy and I presented a program to Kiwanis concerning the poultry industry in our watershed.  We used the Enviroscape and numerous publications to talk about the effect a spill from a processing plant or poultry barn could have on Lake Martin and surrounding rivers and streams.

2019 AWW Monitor of the Year (again!) 

The AWW Mullen Award for Monitor of the Year recognizes the volunteer monitor who submitted the most water data records in the past year. AWW awarded the 2019 Mullen Award winner to our very own Janne Debes, who submitted a total of 136 records. You may recall that Janne won the award last year! WOW, that’s a lot of water testing!

Janne was first certified as an AWW water monitor in December 2016. She spends time in both Auburn and Lake Martin and is a member and monitor in both Lake Watch and Save Our Saugahatchee. Oh, along with all of her water testing, Janne also serves as Lake Watch treasurer AND water monitor testing coordinator AND in her spare time, does work on the Lake Watch website!!

Lake Watch Kiosk in Wind Creek State Park

Lake Watch and Wind Creek State Park partnered to create an educational kiosk highlighting:

• Alabama’s WORLD CLASS aquatic biodiversity – we’ve got more species of freshwater fish, crayfish, turtles, snails and mussels than any other state!!,
• Watershed stewardship needed to protect our aquatic treasure, and,
• How folks can get involved with Lake Watch’s ongoing environmental efforts.

The kiosk was the brainchild of Mary Ann Bronson and the Bronson family provided major funding for the project, supplemented by a donation from Lake Watch. Wind Creek State Park did the hard work of constructing the kiosk, shown below. It is located at the base of the park’s lookout tower. It will inform, educate and inspire thousands of visitors who come to enjoy our Treasured Lake.

Rivers of Alabama Course

Several Lake Watchers participated in a six-week Rivers of Alabama Course organized and sponsored by Lake Martin HOBO. The course was taught by Dr. Bill Deutsch, founder and long-time director of Alabama Water Watch. The course was conducted in Dadeville October through November. The more-than 40 participants learned about the aquatic life, natural and cultural history, and geology of all the major river basins in the state, which is wonderfully presented in Dr. Deutsch’s book Alabama Rivers – A Celebration and Challenge (see http://alabamariversbook.org for more on the book).

Trash Cleanup

The annual Renew Our Rivers (ROR) cleanup on Lake Martin has removed more than 100 tons of trash from Lake Martin. LMRA president, John Thompson has been coordinating the lake clean up, in coordination with Alabama Power and several other partners since 2006, along with over 2000 volunteers. Ken and Tanya Holland, with Tanya’s sister Tammie McVickers and Tanya’s mother, Shirley Cook (see picture; source: Lake Magazine) were featured in the July 2019 edition of Lake Magazine for going way above and beyond the call of duty in their effort to clean up the lake. They spend several weekends before the official cleanup collecting and bagging trash in sloughs for easy pickup during the ROR cleanup. Ken and Tanya became some of our newest Lake Watch water monitors this past fall – welcome aboard and many thanks to the Hollands, et al.!

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 28 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 February 23^rd 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 2019, 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.

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin 
No. 54, January 2019

by Eric Reutebuch

LAKE WATCHER

Lake Watch Annual Meeting  February 17, 2019      

The Lake Watch Annual Meeting will be Sunday, February 17, 2019, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at the StillWaters Residential Association Centre inside StillWaters Resort (1816 StillWaters Drive, Dadeville, AL; map and directions below). The meeting will be followed by a social from 3:30-4:00 pm, with hors d'oeuvres, dessert and beverages, BYOB if you desire.  We ask that you pre-register online so that we have a head count to prepare adequate seating and refreshments.

Register for the meeting at www.lakewatch.org . Click the Events menu on the left side of the homepage, then under Annual Meeting click Please register, then the Register button, and follow instructions – be sure to add the proper number of ‘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 check in at the door at the meeting for an agenda, to update your Lake Watch contact info if needed, and for newbees – to become a Lake Watch member.

We are pleased to have Cindy Lowry, Executive Director of the Alabama Rivers Alliance (http://alabamarivers.org ) as our guest speaker. Cindy will update us on the status of the development of a statewide water plan, a recent court ruling on relicensing of Coosa river dams and its relevance to Lake Martin.  Lake Watch president, Eric Reutebuch, will follow with a brief overview of results from our 2018 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.

 Lake Watch Leadership and Budget

 Changes in our board in 2018 included the loss of board of director Dave Hagan, who moved to Opelika, and the addition of Joanne Walker to replace Dave – THANK YOU Dave for your many years of service on the board, and THANK YOU Joanne for stepping up to replace him!

 Lake Watch budget: end-of-year balance as of 12/31/2017 = $6,022; 2018 expenditures = $2,374; 2018 donations and dues = $2,650, end-of-year balance as of 12/31/2018 = $6,298 ($4,419 general budget + $1879 remaining in the Bronson Environmental Education fund). A big THANK YOU to all who’ve sent their annual dues in, especially to those who have donated at the Silver ($50; eight donors), Gold ($100; two donors; and Platinum ($250; two donors). As you probably know, most of the Lake Watch budget is spent on the purchase of water testing supplies. Membership funds are also used to cover costs to spread the word of watershed stewardship, water conservation, to advocate for clean water, and to encourage others to join in our efforts. The website, newsletter, and teaching supplies are all part of these costs.

 Water Monitoring

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. THANK YOU Judy!

Lake Watch gained a new AWW-certified water monitor in 2018, Leanne Green.  Lake Watch volunteer monitors have increased monitoring throughout the lake and tributaries to 200 water tests (155 water chemistry records, and 45 bacteria records; compared to 121 records last year) at 20 sites (down from 25 sites last year) from Coley Creek down to Martin Dam. Although fewer sites are monitored now relative to 2017, the distribution of monitoring sites has improved, now covering the Kowaliga arm of the lake (see maps below– green markers are active sites, red dots are inactive sites).

2017 SITES: 

2018 SITES: 

As you might expect, and hope, the vast majority of the Lake Watch data show that Lake Martin is clean and in excellent shape, though a few of the readings do indicate a couple of problem areas. Two parameters in particular, low dissolved oxygen (DO) and the presence of E. coli bacteria in the water, have indicated problems in a few areas.

Low DO is a problem for fish that ‘breathe’ in oxygen dissolved in the water through their gills. If DO readings fall below the state-mandated minimum of 5 parts per million (ppm), fish and other aquatic critters suffer, and could even die. Of the 155 water chemistry records taken over the past year by Lake Watch, only three were below 5 ppm. This represents 1.9% of all readings, meaning that for 98% of the monitoring, the DO was at healthy levels. The three low readings ranged from 4.1- 4.4 ppm, not low enough to kill fish, but low enough to negatively impact fish health. These measurements were obtained at Lake Watch site 07001007 at Smith Landing on Sandy Creek Embayment (where Sandy Creek enters the lake).

E. coli bacteria are considered a threat to human health when levels rise above 235 E. coli per 100 milliliters of water, according to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, the state’s environmental protection agency. There were five instances when Lake Watch monitors got readings above 235 E. coli/100 mL of water, which represents 11% of all bacteria readings taken over the past year. None of these high E. coli readings were found in the lake, all occurred at stream sites. Four of the five readings were at Lake Watch site 07001041 in a small tributary stream of Chattasofka Creek near the Dadeville High School, readings ranged from 333-600 E. coli/100 mL, which prompted a follow-up investigation by local officials. They discovered and removed a dead animal from the stream, and the bacterial contamination of the stream has cleared up – YEAH! The one other site where one high reading occurred, a reading of 1,900 E. coli/100 mL (YIKES), was at Lake Watch site 07001053 on Sandy Creek upstream of the Highway 49 bridge. This very high reading was obtained in February 2018, shortly after a high rainfall/runoff event, emphasizing the recommendation from the Alabama Department of Public Health to avoid swimming in streams, rivers and embayments after a high rain event (evident by the presence of muddy water).

In conclusion, the lake continues to have occasional water quality problems in the Sandy Creek Embayment relative to DO levels, but no problems with bacteria (E. coli) contamination. Significant E. coli contamination has occurred in the Chattasofka Creek Watershed and occasionally in Sandy Creek (note, Chattasofka Creek flows into Sandy Creek). These problems underscore the need for continued water monitoring of the lake and its tributary streams to ensure that humans, fish and other aquatic critters are not harmed, and to ensure that we maintain our Treasured Lake status!

Note that some areas of the lake still go unmonitored, particularly the tributary streams flowing into the lake, as folks move away and long-time volunteers retire their test kits, so we are always in need of new water monitors. If you think it’s a necessity to have an insurance policy for your home and your car, think the same way about your lake – insure it through your involvement and investment 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.

Lake Watch Environmental Education Efforts
By Dianna Porter

Lake Watch environmental educators had a fun year teaching children and adults about our water and the environment. Judy Palfrey and Dianna Porter joined the fun at Montgomery Zoo Earth Day celebration. They put Lake Watch’s new Enviroscape to great use, showing and teaching a few hundred students, teachers and parents about nonpoint source pollution and what ‘loving thy downstream neighbor’ really means. 

Then came the Tallapoosa County Water Festival the next week at Wind Creek State Park. Two days of teaching 4th grade children the water cycle. The students also learned about aquafers, water safety, fish, how to paddle a kayak (see pic to the right: Tom Collier prepping youngsters for their first voyage), and litter awareness and clean-up.

 4-H RiverKids was a great success this year, the kids and some adults learned about pH and turbidity (see picture to the left: Dianna teaching kids how to test the water using the AWW test kit).

 In the fall Judy Palfrey had a great day of teaching with the Enviroscape at the Dadeville Fall Festival.  She also brought her show case of aquatic macroinvertebrates which resulted in a lot of "ewws" and awes coming from the kids. Judy and Dianna emphasized caring for the environment, and student involvement. The Tiger Network News team from Dadeville Elementary School filmed at Keebler Park.

Dianna assisted AWW staff, teachers from Horseshoe Bend school, a Master Gardener and 30 6th graders to conduct a Living Streams sampling event to collect aquatic macroinvertebrates in Timbergut Creek near the school in October. The group collected lots of aquatic macroinvertebrates from all three ranking groups, indicative of a healthy stream. Students observed conditions of the stream and the surrounding area, had a great time, and learned a lot about watershed sampling and watershed stewardship.

The year wrapped up with the Dadeville High School Environmental Science Club spending a day at Keebler Park learning about storm water runoff and then implementing stormwater runoff control structures.  The students built brush berms in gullies to slow rainwater runoff.  They will continue to monitor their efforts and make improvements throughout the school year. The students also learned about habitat creation and we built two large brush berms. Bryan Henry from WSFA News surprised us with a visit, the piece aired December 12th.

2018 AWW Monitor of the Year

The AWW Mullen Award for Monitor of the Year recognizes the volunteer monitor who submitted the most water data records in the past year. AWW awarded the 2018 Mullen Award winner to our very own Janne Debes, who submitted a total of 97 records (76 chemistry, 21 bacteria), WOW, that’s a lot of water testing!

Janne was first certified as an AWW water monitor in December 2016. She spends time in both Auburn and at Lake Martin and is a member and monitor in both Lake Watch and Save Our Saugahatchee. Oh, and she also serves as our Lake Watch Treasurer!

Spreading the Word at Wind Creek

Working in partnership with Superintendent Bruce Adams at Wind Creek State Park over the past few months, Lake Watch is sponsoring the creation of a kiosk with three displays highlighting:

Alabama’s world class aquatic biodiversity,

Watershed stewardship needed to protect our aquatic treasure, and,

How folks can get involved with Lake Watch’s ongoing environmental efforts.

The kiosk was the brainchild of Mary Ann Bronson, the brains of the operation, and the Bronson family is providing the majority of the funding for the project, supplemented by a donation by Lake Watch. Wind Creek State Park is doing the hard work of constructing the kiosk. We hope that it will inform, educate and inspire thousands of visitors who come to enjoy our Treasured Lake. Here are the three panels that will be displayed in the kiosk:

And here is a rough draft of the completed kiosk:

When completed (hopefully later this winter or early spring), it will be located at the base of the park’s lookout tower.

Lake Watch Helping Push Water Policy Forward

Lake Watch received a request from Alabama Rivers Alliance (ARA), urging individuals and groups to sign on to ARA’s comments to the ‘roadmap’ for a state water management plan that the Water Resources Commission (WRC) completed for the governor. The governor terminated AWAWG, the Alabama Water Agency Working Group – the alliance of five key state agencies overseeing water management in the state – in late 2017, after AWAWG had spent several years in meetings, data collection, deliberation, and report-writing for the formation of a comprehensive statewide water management plan. The WRC is under the Office of Water Resources (OWR), who, arguably, should have developed strong proactive water management policies and a state water plan decades ago. In other words, the governor essentially reverted back to the status quo.

Comments compiled by the ARA urge the Commission and the governor to use the extensive information and reports generated by AWAWG (that you and I paid for), and go beyond the status quo, and include meaningful, protective legislation in a statewide water management plan. I’ll keep you posted on the progress of this extremely important effort.

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 27 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 February 17th 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 2019, 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.

Lake Watcher

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 4^th 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.

Lake Watcher

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin
No. 52, January 2017

by Eric Reutebuch and Matt Campbell

2016 ACHIEVEMENTS:

• 18 sites monitored for water chemistry and bacteria in the Lake Martin Watershed
• 115 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 February 19, 2017     

The Lake Watch Annual Meeting will be Sunday, February 19, 2017, 1 pm to 3:30 pm at the StillWaters Residential Association Centre inside StillWaters Resort (1816 StillWaters Drive, Dadeville, AL; map and directions below). Lunch will be catered and we ask that you pre-register so that we have a head count in order to accurately order food.

Also, the Board has asked that everyone donate a nominal fee of $8.00 per person to cover the cost of our BBQ lunch so that our dues and donations are used for water quality and watershed stewardship purposes. To register, go to www.lakewatch.org. Click the Events menu on the left side of the homepage, then click the Register button. Click the Add guest button to add a person, if needed, then Confirm. Ignore the ‘Invoice not paid’ message - you can mail in your luncheon payment with your annual dues or pay at the meeting but please do take the time to register for the meeting. Or, if you prefer, send an e-mail to us at membership@lakewatch.org to let us know that you plan to attend. Mr. Jimmy Lanier, Founder of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association (CRATA), our guest speaker, will inform us on the latest developments on new trails and an interpretive facility at Smith Mountain fire tower and how those interested can help make it all happen.  Lake Watch president, Eric Reutebuch, will give an overview of results from our 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).

Lake Watch 25^th Anniversary Celebration 

Last year marked Lake Watch of Lake Martin’s 25^th anniversary! Lake Watchers gathered at Camp ASCCA last October to reminisce and celebrate.  Dr. Bill Deutsch, former director of Alabama Water Watch, was our keynote speaker. He took us on a journey across the years highlighting his move to Alabama, the beginnings of AWW and Lake Watch of Lake Martin. It was a delight to have Bill tell us his story of the "water spirit" (AWW’s logo, the caddisfly or Hydropsyche – meaning, you guessed it, water-spirit), working locally and around the world through Global Water Watch, working with people dealing with water issues that have benefited from GWW’s community-based watershed stewardship approach.

The gathering of veterans and newbees were then treated to the story of the group’s formation, major challenges, and achievements by Lake Watch founder and long-time president, Dick Bronson. Dick’s unwavering commitment to Lake Martin and his leadership of Lake Watch in clean water advocacy has made a huge difference over the years in stopping pollution from entering the lake, and encouraging compliance by our towns, contractors and homeowners around the lake to ensure that the effluent and runoff that flows into the lake meets water quality standards. The volume of data that our Lake Watch monitors have gathered has been key in bringing problems of point source pollution and polluted run-off to the attention of those entities that can initiate action to get water problems resolved. In the APCo Lake Martin Dam relicensing, Lake Watch representatives were fully engaged throughout the process, participating in countless MIG (Martin Issue Group) meetings, advocating for maintenance of the lake’s excellent water quality, as well as for maintenance of more favorable lake levels in the fall and winter.

The crème de la crème – TAL! From two decades of water monitoring on the lake by Alabama Water Watch-trained monitors, Lake Watch knew that the lake was at the top of the list of clean lakes in the state. Dick wanted to keep it that way, and began lobbying ADEM for a special designation for the lake to protect its waters in perpetuity. Through meetings, discussions, letters, and sheer persistence, working with Director LeFleur at ADEM, Dick saw the fruits of his labors pay off at Children’s Harbor in December of 2010, when then-Governor Bob Riley signed into law a new designation to protect reservoirs of exceptional quality, Treasured Alabama Lake (TAL). Soon to follow, Lake Martin was designated as the first TAL in the state in early 2011 – a HUGE Victory for the lake and its residents! TAL protects Lake Martin through strict statute limitations on point and nonpoint pollution sources both now and in perpetuity.

The 25^th anniversary celebration ended with a proud ovation, and this message: “Thank you Dick and Mary Ann Bronson for being tireless stewards of Lake Martin. You continue to inspire us to do our part in preserving and protecting its waters, now and for generations to come.”

Special Thanks to People Working to Spread the Water-Stewardship Word

Judy Palfrey serves as Lake Watch water monitoring volunteer coordinator, ensuring that Lake Watch monitors have adequate supplies to do their work. 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 “bugs” that signify that our water systems are healthy or, by their absence, disclose the ill-effects of pollution on them, and other aquatic creatures. If you think you'd like to become a monitor or environmental educator, talk with Judy!

Dick & Mary Ann Bronson and Raymond & Zelma dePasquale, together with Radney teacher - Laurie Barrett, continue to meet regularly with the Radney Elementary middle school children, giving of their time and seemingly unending energy toward enhancing learning experiences for the children in the boundless ‘outdoor classroom.’

Lastly, we are excited about Mona Dominguez, Alabama Water Watch coordinator of the 4-H AWW Program, working with Debra Stewart on introducing AWW water testing and watershed stewardship to youth through the 4-H Club. This most promising and exciting program is bringing the water stewardship message to children in the counties around Lake Martin, and will include canoe and kayak outings on our rivers and streams.. Go to www.alabamawaterwatch.org and click ENVIRO ED to learn more.

Lake Watch Budget

As you know, the greatest part of the Lake Watch budget is spent on the purchase of water testing supplies. Special THANKS to Lake Martin HOBO for their contribution to Lake Watch for our water monitoring program. 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.

Lake Watch Leadership

Our board will see some changes in the coming year. Laurel Goldsmith, our long time Treasurer, board member, website guru, and organizer extraordinaire, is moving. Special thanks to Laurel for a job well-done! And to Sonny for his steadfast support and assistance! Best wishes to you, Laurel and Sonny! The Nominating Committee is searching for replacements, specifically, treasurer and a website manager. If you can assist, contact Eric at reuteem@auburn.edu.

Water Monitoring

Lake Watch volunteer monitors continue water testing throughout the lake at 18 sites, from Horseshoe Bend down to The Ridge. 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 Feb 19^th 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 2017, 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.