Over in the Blink of an Eye!

Shoreline improvement season is almost gone

For those that need to create or shore up a seawall, the clock is already ticking. Lake Martin reached its winter pool level in November. Waterfront contractors—those installing seawalls and piers—are already hard at work preparing shorelines for next spring. Many already have more work than they can get to this year.

Why the rush? There are quite a few reasons. First, there is the large number of property transactions over the past several years. Many new owners are repairing or upgrading waterfront improvements. Those improvements include new seawalls and piers for new lake homes, extended seawalls and pier repairs on existing homes, or changes of materials.

The biggest reason to hurry is because contractors need to be on the lake bed, and the low pool season only lasts three months. Some people think that three months is plenty of time. Actually, it is barely enough—when you have to look at the shoreline, design a seawall or pier improvement, meet with Alabama Power Shoreline Management Specialists (APCO), obtain HOA approval (in some cases), get estimates and then build, three months is not much time at all.

Recommendations

The best time to start talking to contractors is during the summer months. They can advise you on costs and create the necessary drawings. For most seawalls and piers, you can get APCO approval during full pool periods. But if your lake improvement includes a dredge of the lake bed, you will need to wait until November when the lake bed is visible to APCO.

Contractors always start setting up their work queue during the summer and early fall. For those just beginning the planning now, you will find that some contractors may already have a full slate of work for this winter. If that is the case, you may want to get your project approved now to complete next November (Permits are good for one full year.).

Tips from the Pros

For those that are still looking for a lake place, winter is the best time to look at property. The winter lake level allows you to see the property from every vantage point. You can see all views from the home or homesite.

Another benefit of looking during the winter is the ability to get onto the lake bed and determine with certainty what repairs are needed to seawalls and piers and, more importantly, determine what full pool and wintertime water depth are at the end of a pier. You can also determine if there are safety issues, such as hidden rocks or stumps in summer water, which cannot be seen at full pool.

For information related to shoreline permitting, visit the Lake Martin page on Alabama Power’s Shorelines site. The section for Lake Martin includes current water depth, rule curve charts (water depth plans for the year) and application forms for shoreline improvements.

As always, if you have any questions, call one of our Sales Executives at 256.215.7011 for information.