(SLEPC)
November 2008
www.slepc.org
Membership Renewal Information
For
annual members, the mailing label on this newsletter shows the last date your
dues were received; membership renewal is due one year from the date shown. Lifetime
Members are noted also. Thank you for your continued support!
Annual Meeting and State of the
The Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee (SLEPC) is
hosting the Annual Meeting and State of the
Dodge House
Restaurant is on Hwy 69 just west of I65. For more info call 205 915-8830.
Water Quality Monitoring Training and Re-certification
An
Alabama Water Watch chemical water quality monitoring training workshop is
scheduled for
Dock Dumping
Dock
dumpers can no longer trash and clog community boat launches and back sloughs
with their debris. The following is the letter sent by
TO: All
Boat Dock Builders/Smith Lake
Recently we are beginning to see problems related to abandoned boat
houses and increases in Styrofoam in sloughs and remote areas of the
lake. Some of this is probably related to the deadline to remove all
white beaded Styrofoam by January 2010.
Some boathouses pulled into sloughs have been found to belong to someone
who has purchased a new dock. On some occasions they were pulled there
to be disassembled later. Our concern is that they will be forgotten and
abandoned.
I have asked my surveillance contractor and the Alabama Marine Police to
be aware of this problem and to investigate any old docks in tow.
Please help us maintain the beauty of
dismantling old docks at the site of the new dock within 10 days of the
change out or towing them back to your assembly points for proper
dismantling or disassembly.
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Basically, the new policy says that when
new docks are delivered, the old docks cannot be moved from the location of
the new dock unless they are going to the final removal location on property
the dock builder owns or has rights to or the old dock is dismantled and
disposed of at the site of the new dock and removed from the lake within
10 days.
Alabama Power
Shoreline Management told me that all of the dock assembly locations are south
of Ryan Creek Boating Center (Big Bridge) so what this means to all of us is
that NO OLD DOCKS WITH BEADED SYTROFOAM SHOULD BE GOING NORTH OR WEST OF RYAN
CREEK BOATING CENTER. IF OLD STYROFOAM DOCKS ARE GOING UNDER BIG BRIDGE
TOWARD
If you can get
the numbers off the side of the boat moving the old dock it is helpful to law
enforcement, however, we have discovered that some dock movers/builders do not
have registration numbers on their boats and we have also found that some have
numbers that are not registered to the boat they are operating or have been
altered in some way. Detailed photos and descriptions are also helpful.
Also, if you are
getting a new dock and you have contracted with the dock builder for
removal of your old dock, be careful if you pay up front for the removal. You
may want to hold out some cash incentive for them to legally dispose of and
remove the old dock so you don't wind up with the old dock still at your
place with the new dock month after month or find out that your dock was simply
dumped on your neighbors a couple of sloughs over from you. If you hold
out some cash incentive, then you can have the dock builder send you a
written confirmation signed by the well funded owner of the dock building
company. If the dock builder has contracted with someone else for dock
removal then you should still get the owner of dock building company to send
you confirmation because some of the folks contracted to remove old
docks have been found to take a long time, make a mess, or be unscrupulous
as well as unable to pay for messes they have created or damages they have
caused.
If all of us
help, we can avoid
National Coal proposed Strip Mine in the Brushy Pond
Area
National
Coal is a
Dr. Neil Sass,
On
Styrofoam Removal Deadline
Reminder:
We
had our cleanup this spring and removed 17.81 tons or 35,620 pounds of
Styrofoam for a total of 1313 tons or 2,626,000 pounds.
Other
cleanup information below:
Walker
Co. cleanup contact: Jim Beason (205) 387-2654
Winston
Co. cleanup contact: Laverne Matheson (256) 747-4422
Cullman
Co. usually has free dump month during May at the landfill for Styrofoam, wood
from docks, and other trash. The coupon usually comes with your Cullman
Electric Coop power bill prior to the free dump month.
PLEASE
DO NOT ALLOW YOUR DOCK OR STYROFOAM TO LITTER THE
Shoreline Permitting and Inspection Contact Information
Remember
to call Alabama Power’s representatives BEFORE you begin a seawall, a dock or
begin construction that could affect land below the water storage easement of
522 feet MSL (mean sea level). Call 205 384-7385 for permitting
information and to make an appointment for an onsite visit.
Newsletter Sponsors
Our
newsletter reaches hundreds of households and businesses with an interest in
Smith
--The
--The
nine-inch crappie limit has been lifted for public waters of 500 acres or less.
Since
--****new
site: The web site for Alabama Power’s Fish Habitat Enhancement Maps with GPS
information has been changed to http://www.alabamapower.com/fishdata.
State Boating Law Highlights
---
--
---Vessels
passing head on should keep to the right. If you cannot see around a bend in
the shoreline or a rock formation assume that there is a boat coming at you on
the other side and stay well to the right.
---Scuba
divers should always have a diver’s flag flying on their boat. The flag should
be at least 12 inches square, colored red with a two inch strip running
diagonally from the top staff corner to the bottom fly corner. Boaters
should stay a minimum or 100 feet away from the displayed flag.
---A
properly installed kill switch must be attached to the driver of a moving
vessel less than 24 feet long with greater than 50 horsepower.
---As of April 2003, stern lights (anchor
lights) must be at least one meter above the navigational lights (running
lights) and must be visible for two miles.
----Studies
show that 19 of the 22
--The Alabama Marine Police
recommend that lake residents place their 911 address somewhere that is visible
from the water and that the letters and numbers be reflective and at least
three inches high. This could help them identify a location easier and quicker.
Other News Around the
---A
new Alabama Power web site is available for lake level information:
http://lakes.alabamapower.com or you can access lake level information from our
web site www.SLEPC.org. The 1-800-lakes11 number also provides lake information.
---
www.smithlakeliving.com.
----To
receive Alabama Power’s free Shorelines, which includes draw down
information, estimated filling schedules, cleanup schedules, etc., write to
Shorelines 12N-0980, Alabama Power Company, POB 2641, B’ham,
--Smith Lake Living is a magazine
that includes various articles, advertisements and information about
----The
Church by the
----The
Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) oversees any land
disturbance of one acre or larger or if the disturbance causes a water quality
violation. ADEM’s
----Cullman
County PALS (People Against a Littered State) LITTER HOTLINE! If you see
someone littering, you can make a report by calling the hotline at (256)
775-4706. Their web site is http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-cullmanpals.
----
----Cullman
County Sanitation Department will pick up old appliances such as washers,
dryers, refrigerators, etc. This service is free of charge to residential
customers. Call (256)287-1142 for pick-up.
Requests
Watch
for illegally piped discharges to the lake; they are easier to see when the
water is low.
Please
secure items on your docks such as buckets, rafts, and chairs to prevent
littering the lake.
Keep
an eye out for dock dumpers and report them.
Web Sites of Interest
-
-Smith
Lake Living Magazine at www.smithlakeliving.com
-Black
Warrior RiverKeeper at www.blackwarriorriver.org
-
-The
Clean Water Partnership for the Warrior basin at www.warriorcwp.org.
-Cullman
Co. PALS at http://home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-cullmanpals
-Alabama Dept. Conservation and Natural Resources web site for online
purchasing of hunting and fishing licenses is www.conservation.alabama.gov or
www.alabama.gov.
Board and Committee Contact Information
2008
Board of Directors re-elected at November 2007 Annual Meeting:
Debbie
Berry, President - (205)823-0015; email: debbiecberry@aol.com
Ben
Tingle Vice President – (205)608-1291; email: TBtingle@aol.com
Becky
Gray, Treasurer - (256)747-6262; email:beckyg@hiwaay.net
Eddie
Hand, Secretary - (256)287-1545; email: ehand@att.net
Edwin
Calvert, Director At Large - (256)734-9337
Committee
Chairs:
Jerry
Gray, Membership Committee - (256)747-6262; email: jrg@hiwaay.net
David
Gilbert, Nominating Committee - (256)287-1269 or DWGRUST@aol.com
IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON THE SLEPC BOARD, HAVE NOMINATIONS FOR THE BOARD, OR
WOULD LIKE TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE PLEASE CONTACT
Membership Information
The Smith Lake Environmental
Preservation Committee (SLEPC) was formed in 1995 as an IRS recognized
501(c)(3) non profit organization with the goal of preserving and enhancing the
water quality of Smith Lake and its tributaries for people, recreation, fish
and wildlife thru education and volunteer efforts and by working with officials
and agencies and other organizations with similar goals.
Please join us in our endeavors
to preserve
Individual Membership Dues: . Business
Membership Dues:
$20 for a single annual
membership... Annual
membership $50
$30 for a couple annual
membership. Annual Supporting
membership $100
$100 for a single lifetime
membership Annual Patron
membership $500
$200 for a couple lifetime
memberships
$250 for a couple steward
lifetime memberships
Please help us defray expenses
and continue our efforts by making your check payable to The Smith Lake
Environmental Preservation Committee.
Mail to: c/o B. Gray,
Sincerely,
Debbie Berry, President
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