ACCOMPLISHMENTS in 2011

April: Slough clean-up from Duncan Bridge /Rock Creek cancelled week-end of tornadoes. No power/Gas.
May: Our public meeting was at Lakeshore Marina and Inn. Alabama Water Watch gave a program, then election of Officers and Directors, one new director, Gloria Drinkard, replacing Larry, who requested replacement.
May: Contacted Corp of Engineers about large slide-in on Rock Creek.
June: Clean-up Duncan Bridge North and we used Bankhead’s Houston Recreational area for the take out of debris plus our picnic Saturday afternoon.
July: I met Casey Ehorn, project mgr. for Corp of Eng. and Pamela McDaniels, P.E for Al. Power , in Arley. Then we inspected the large slide-in on Rock Creek. Corp of Engineers can not help us.
SEPT: 2nd clean-up Duncan Bridge north and we Used Old Yellow Creek Marina site. All loose Styrofoam found north of Duncan Bridge removed.
Sept: Distributed approx. 1400 of Al. Power coloring books, a coloring book for every student from K thru 3rd grade in Winston County Schools.
OCT: class on importance of watersheds and water testing at the fawn program. This was for all 6th grade students in Winston County Schools.
Oct: Gave Civitians $500.00 to assist in Placement of Historical Sign in front of Meek Elementary School.
NOV: 2nd bacteria blitz on the lake. !st bacteria blitz was in April. There were a few test sites with above average bacteria count. 50 plus sites tested each time.
NOV: Signage on all named creeks/sloughs on a lake map of Smith Lake, in Winston County, will have a sign at it’s mouth with it’s name for boaters to see.
DEC: Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan meeting. The grant money allotted for this plan has already been allocated to interested property owners
Living in the Rock Creek Watershed who intend to improve a problem on their property, which will improve the waters of Rock Creek Watershed and Smith Lake.
There were 3 private clean-ups from the head waters of Rock and Crooked Creeks to Duncan Bridge and 1 clean-up on Brushy and Yellow Creeks.
Advocacy had a busy year with 15 sites tested every month, plus everything else we have accomplished this year, there is still much more to do,
but doesn’t the lake just look great.
Board meetings are the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 AM in Arley at the Traders and Farmers Bank.Public is always welcome, come tell us what is happening on your little bit of paradise, on Smith Lake.

Rock Creek Watershed Project Meeting on December 6th

Please join the Rock Creek Stakeholder Group for the upcoming Rock Creek Watershed Management Project meeting on Tuesday, December 6th at 6pm in Addison, Alabama at the Community Center. We will be discussing recent project activities and will also plan activities for 2012.

For more information please contact Mona S. Dominguez by email srs0013@auburn.edu or call (334) 844-9323.

WCSLAI Nov. Board meeting

Tuesday morning Nov. 8th 10:00 AM @ Traders and Farmers Bank, Arley

MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
November 8th board meeting

Reading of the minutes , Mary Ann
Watertesting , Mary Ann
Report on signage , Burt
Report on Fawn program , ?
Distribution of coloring books , Comments
Progress of Rock Creek Watershed Management Project , LaVerne
Brushy Creek clean-up , Burt
Rock Creek proposed clean-up , LaVerne
Xmasparty , comments
Suggested Project for spring 2012
1-Schedule meeting for John Mark Williams to explain rules and regulations for all boaters
2- Invite Smith Lake Coast Guard Flotilla to attend this meeting explain their importance on the lake.

We have our own projector, equipment I think we need to be using this equipment showing various organizations who we are, what our mission is, what we have accomplished, future projects etc.
Other new business
No meeting in December, just xmas party
Adjourn.

US Forest Service and Alabama Power Company install fish habitat structures in Smith Lake

Alabama Power Company and Bankhead National Forest partnered again this year to improve fish habitat in Smith Lake and to improve sport fishing opportunities and angler success at Forest Service recreation areas.

Forest Service and Alabama Power Company employees utilize bundles of recycled Christmas trees and/or bamboo bucket structures to construct sunken fish habitat structures. The Alabama Power Company records the locations of the structures and produces a map to aid sport fishers in finding the structures. The structures provide habitat for small fish, which in turn will attract larger sport fish, such as bass and crappie. Twenty-five structures were installed at four sites near the Corinth Recreation Area. Fifty structures were installed at the Clear Creek Recreation Area.

To see the locations where the fish structures were placed, visit the Alabama Power Company's website at www.alabamapower.com/fishdata.

BOARD MEETING

Tuesday September 13th will be our next board meeting. There will be many things to discuss.Progress on signage being installed on all named tributaries, creeks, sloughs, etc. total 33. Fawn progam in October.
Start-up of the Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan. Discussion of future clean-ups. Coloring books for schools. Report on monthly water testing program on the lake in Winston County. Much more.
Advocacy board meetings are open to the public. If you need to know what we are working on, or if you have information about something on the lake, that we should know about, please come and tell us about it!!!
When: 10:00 AM, Tuesday, September 13th, @ Farmers and Traders Bank in Arley.

FUTURE CLEAN-UPS

Smith Lake is looking so great,very little white beaded foam any where on the lake.Thanks to the multitude of people who have helped us for so many years at our scheduled cleanups on the lake with Al. Power. Doug Powell has always been here with Al. Power boats for all of the scheduled cleanups.Doug brings t-shirts, bags to put litter in,furnishes about 1500 coloring books for us to distribute to all the kids from kindergarden through 3rd grade in school in Winston County.We've been doing this for 4 years.Since 2006 the Winston County Commissioners have disposed of 172 triple axle dump truck loads of white beaded foam from our clean-ups.THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS There has been over 150 boat houses/swim platforms removed from smith lake.Jim King allowed us to tie these structures up at his place of business (KING BOAT HOUSE BUILDERS) then he would have them removed,styrofoam removed, then balance of strucure burned up.Thank you Jim!!
There have been tons of debris removed,put in dumpsters supplied by TARRIE HYCHE at all of our scheduled clean-ups. Thank you Tarrie!!Bankhead Forest have let us use all 3 of their recreational areas for different clean-ups.Thank you Bankhead Forest!! CARL GODSEY let us use the Old Yellow Creek Marina several times for clean-ups. Thank you Carl!!Without the help of these people, Smith Lake in Winston County would still have all of this debris still floating on the lake.FUTURE CLEAN-UPS ON SMITH LAKE in WINSTON COUNTY will be completed by WCSLAI furnishing our boat/barge, with a captain, and tools. Labor, people picking up debris etc.will come from the area being cleaned up.They must load and unload the boat/barge.We are ready to help you, the owners of homes and property on Smith Lake, to keep this lake clean, clear and pristine.These clean-ups must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance with 4/5 people ready to work for a day.This is a great place to live,visit,play fish or just go boating.I think I moved to paradise,hopefully everyone will help take care of thIS BEAUTIFUL LAKE from now on!!!

Slough Cleanup on Smith Lake on June 17-18

Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. (WCSLAI) is sponsoring a Slough Cleanup on Smith Lake on Friday and Saturday, June 17 and 18, 2011.  The cleanup area is from Duncan Bridge to the headwaters of the Sipsey Fork.  Boat owners and other volunteers are needed.  WCSLAI will furnish trash bags and trash collection at three sites-Lakeshore Marina, Old Yellow Creek Marina, and Clear Creek Recreation Area from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Click on the photo above for a full size flyer that gives more information and a map of cleanup locations on the lake.

Rock Creek Watershed Management Project Kick-Off on Tuesday, June 7th

Hi Everyone,

I am excited to announce to you that we will have our official Rock Creek Watershed Management Project Kick-Off Meeting on Tuesday, June 7th in Arley at the Traders and Farmers Bank Building at 6:30 pm. We are anxious to start planning activities for the next few months and we really need your help. The first phase of the project will really focus on getting local folks familiar with the project's goals as well as general watershed and water quality concepts.

We will also be discussing the Bacteria Blitzes we have been doing over the last year. We will look at the progress of hotspot clean ups and also discuss the direction we'd like to go with the Blitzes in the coming year.

Several of our project partners who work with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Project (which has funded the Bacteria Blitzes around Smith Lake) will be at the meeting, and they would love to meet you. They will share a little bit about the work they are doing on their side of the Gulf.

Please come out and share your ideas with the group. Contact me with any questions. Hope to see you soon!

Mona

WCSLAI Annual Meeting Photos

Photos from the Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Annual Meeting on May 13th at Lakeshore Restaurant.

Slough Cleanup on Saturday, April 30th, 2011

Board Meeting

Tuesday March 8th @ 10:00 A.M. @ Traders & Farmers Bank in Arley we will be holding a board meeting for the "Advocacy". Some of the items to be discussed are as follows
Spring bacteria blitz
April 30th slough cleanup.
report of signage being installed.
discussion of our May 13th public meeting.
Progrss of Rock Creek water shed management program.
These are a few of the items to be discussed. Join us for the meeting. Advocacy meetings are open to the public.

Allison Cochran Interviewed on WAFF about Feral Hogs in the Bankhead National Forest

Allison Cochran, Wildlife Biologist on the Bankhead National Forest, was recently interviewed on WAFF TV in Huntsville about feral hogs in the Bankhead National Forest.

Board Meeting Feb. 8th @ 10:00 AM Arley

February 8th board meeting 10:00 AM Traders and Farmers Bank, Arley
Minutes and treasures report
Water testing Mary Ann
Progress for April 30th slough clean-up Laverne 5 sites, fliers, tying them on each boat house, balloons, maintain each location how do we take “ land helpers “ to sloughs? discussion
Acquiring bags from Alabama Power, how many? comments
Date for public meeting at Lakeshore, Friday May 13th Discussion
Remove winch from our boat Bert
One more Styrofoam clean-up on Rock creek in March or April may need some help on our boat. Can anyone help if we need 1or2 people?
Progress of Rock Creek watershed management grant. LaVerne
Letter from Alabama Pals
Alabama river Alliance 13th conference at Camp McDowell March 11-13th
Other new or old business.
Visitors :
Bobby Everett our new County commissioner
Donny Cagle
Alabama Marine Officer

Alabama Power Company and Bankhead National Forest Install Fish Structures at Clear Creek

Annually, Alabama Power Company and Bankhead National Forest staff place sunken fish structures in sloughs and along banks at one of the Forest Service's three Recreation Areas along Smith Lake. Bundled Christmas trees or bamboo structures are put in Smith Lake to improve fish habitat and fishing opportunities.

On January 31, Alabama Power and Bankhead employees placed about 60 structures in the lake at the Clear Creek Recreation Area. When fishing in the area look for "fish habitat" signs along the bank, which designate areas where structures have been placed. Or, you may visit www.alabamapower.com/lakes/home.asp and find GPS locations of fish habitat structures.

Board Meeting Rescheduled

Notice
Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. board meeting was cancelled Tuesday Jan. 11th . Rescheduled for Tuesday Jan.18th.at 10:00 A.M. Traders and Farmers Bank, Arley. Meeting open to the public

Boating Class

 for- Alabama vessel operators license.
 WHERE- DODGE CITY TRAVEL CENTER
(dodge house restaurant)
426 al hwy 69 south
Hanceville, al 35077
Exit 299 just off i-65
 Date & time- Saturday Jan. 29, 2011
9 a.m.
Please devote 6 hrs for class
(lunch break 12-1 p.m.)
 who?-anyone 12 years of age or older.
 Class- is put on by the Alabama marine police.
Please contact the marine police
To register because seating is limited.
1-800-499-1667
Instructor- officer John Williams

Board meeting

Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy Inc. board/directors January meeting is Tuesday morning the 11th, at 10 A.M., Traders and Farmers Bank in Arley. Our meetings are open to the public.
This is the 1st meeting in 2011 and many subjects to discuss. Progress of Rock Creek Water Shed management plan,status of signage being erected, e-coli problem, plan our spring public meeting, discuss 2011 clean-ups and many more items to discuss.Are you interested in learning more about the lake and how you can help us with projects on and around the lake? COME TO THE MEETING ON THE 11TH