Gaining Ground.... by Billy Ray Parson

I recently received a letter from SLISA, or the Smith Lake Improvement Stakeholders Association, detailing the fact that Alabama Power was only granted a one-year license to operate their power generating facilities and dam on Lewis Smith Lake, instead of the usual 30-year license.  This is a great victory for those concerned with the lake's drastically dwindling water levels and for Northwest Alabama as a whole.  For those unfamiliar with the situation on Smith Lake I will try to lend some insight.

Lewis Smith Lake is located in Northwest Alabama and covers parts of Walker, Winston, and Cullman counties.  Smith Lake was created in 1961 with construction of the largest earth dam in the United States.  The 300-foot high structure on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River created over 21,000 surface acres of water held within 500 miles of shoreline.  Depths plumb over 250 feet, making it one of the deepest lakes in the state.  Studies have indicated that it is the third cleanest lake in the United States, probably in part, because the Lake's western side emanates from the 180,000-acre Bankhead National Forrest.

For as long as the lake has been in existence, Alabama Power has pulled an enormous amount of water through the dam and downstream to be used for cooling purposes at the Gorgas Steam Plant, which generates electricity by burning coal and creating steam that drives the generating engines.  As one might imagine, the need for electricity is greater during the later and hotter summer months, so more water is used during this time.  Unfortunately, this contradicts Mother Nature's rainfall schedule and thus the normal pool levels of the lake.  510 feet above sea level is the normal pool of the lake and we see these levels in the rainy season of January through May.  From this point we see the levels on Smith Lake continuously fall from June until November to points as low as 492-494 feet.  Sometime around December, rainfall increases as the demand for power decreases, and then we see the lake levels begin their ascent to normal levels.  When Smith Lake water levels drop 18 feet in a single year, it creates an unnecessary economic burden on the Northwest Alabama area.  Parts of the lake become unusable, recreation use drops, marinas suffer, boat docks are grounded, and real estate values plummet.  More importantly, it creates an environmental crisis.  Exposed shoreline erodes into the lake, spawning grounds for fish disappear, and numerous species and wildlife lose their habitat.

Is there a solution?  I, for one, do not want to cut back on my hot August air conditioning use so a few recreational skiers will have a bigger lake to use.  I don't live on the lake so should I really be concerned with declining property values?  I'm not an avid fisherman, so is this really my problem?  The answer is yes.  The only way we will ever see Winston and Walker counties grow is to increase the value of our community to our fellow Americans.  People must want to live here in Northwest Alabama and Smith Lake is a great starting point.  We must have better roads, better infrastructure, and better places to live.  The same people that build half-million dollar homes on Smith Lake sometimes bring their businesses that enabled them to afford such a home with them.  They employ our workers, shop in our stores, pay taxes to our governments, and invest in our community.  This growth that a more stable Smith Lake affords, will help our Schools, our Tax Base, our Homebuilders, Restaurants, Building Suppliers, Factories, Marinas, Boat Dock Builders, Realtors, Gas Stations, and just about every Retail Establishment that I can think of.  The list is endless.  If you still have doubt, take a look at Lake Logan-Martin.  It too, is an Alabama Power Lake, but it enjoys varying lake levels of only 4-5 feet per year.  As a result, the nearby economies of Oxford and Anniston are booming, property values are soaring, and these areas are enjoying unprecedented growth.