SHORELINES

13 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2015 Vol :2 The potential for higher water levels and an extended lake season have many people convinced Lake Martin's impact on the region could be deeper than ever before. Lakeside restaurants and marinas, grocery stores and shops in nearby towns and even the property values of Lake Martin homeowners all stand to gain if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ultimately agrees with Alabama Power Company's recommendation to keep lake levels higher through the fall and winter In other words, more blue means more green. "I think a new fall pool will have the greatest economic impact because it will extend the lake season," says John Coley, a Lake Martin Realtor and publisher of the Lake Martin Voice blog. Coley says he believes as people enjoy the longer lake season each year, property values will rise with the increased use of the lake during those months. "People will stay longer in the fall and come more often in the winter," Coley predicts. "I truly believe we will see significant economic growth." There is reason to believe that. Don McClellan, executive director of the Lake Martin Area Economic Development Alliance, says the possibility of a longer lake season should also mean more taxes in local coffers, enabling cities and counties to do more to improve infrastructure and expand industry. "Lake property makes up only about 25 percent of the property in Tallapoosa County, but it accounts for more than half of the tax base," McClellan says. He said the longer lake season would mean more of the same. "We think they will spend more time here and that will grow the economy," McClellan says. A longer lake season becomes more attractive for resorts, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, marinas and other venues tied to the water. FERC's final environmental impact statement (FEIS) for Lake Martin in April concluded Alabama Power's proposal to raise the winter level of Lake Martin by three feet should be part of a new federal license for "THIS IS NOT JUST A POSITIVE THING FOR L AKE M ARTIN, IT'S A POSITIVE THING FOR ECLECTIC, ALEX CIT Y, DADEVILLE AND ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES AROUND HERE." – J O HN T H OM P S O N, P R ESID EN T O F T HE L A K E M A R T IN R ES O URCE A SS O CI AT I O N Left: Photo by Billy Brown — Higher water levels will extend time on the lake for many families on Lake Martin. Above: Photo by Marvin GilMore — Ridge Marina is just one of the businesses on the lake that could benefit from higher lake levels.

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