We have had people asking ,where can I take the White Styrofoam for disposal. The Advocacy considers the lake in Winston County and Crooked Creek, which is part of the Rock Creek Watershed, as our responsibility to help keep clean. Should you own property in any of this area,and still have styrofoam to remove from your boathouse,need a place to dispose of the Styrofoam CALL JIM KING 256-747-6445]
You must call for instruction on where to deliver the Strofoam but also when to deliver it!!!
WHITE STROFOAM ONLY!!!!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Eagles
The morning of January 6th I was putting feed in one of our bird feeders and I looked toward our Boat house and there were 2 bald eagles , not over 150 feet from me, gliding/flying not over 20 feet above our boat house. What beautiful birds with their white heads and tails. My neighbor David saw one of these eagles the day before. That eagle landed in a tree overlooking the lake. He grabbed his camera and was able to get pictures of that eagle.
I was talking with my friend Warren who lives on White Oak and was telling him about the 2 eagles. Then Warren said” Laverne remember when I told you about seeing otter almost every day when I was fishing, their gone”. He went on to tell me that about a year ago there were some limb-liners fishing in that area. The otter were stealing fish off of their lines, they were cussing these otter for stealing fish. The otter are now gone, we’ll never know where they went.
We are living in paradise, where else can look out of your windows and see and enjoy so much of nature. This lake is such a treasure, for both you and I, but lets share it with natures friends and enjoy the beauty and amusement they give us each year.
These eagles were near the north end of Bailey Bridge on Rock Creek.
I was talking with my friend Warren who lives on White Oak and was telling him about the 2 eagles. Then Warren said” Laverne remember when I told you about seeing otter almost every day when I was fishing, their gone”. He went on to tell me that about a year ago there were some limb-liners fishing in that area. The otter were stealing fish off of their lines, they were cussing these otter for stealing fish. The otter are now gone, we’ll never know where they went.
We are living in paradise, where else can look out of your windows and see and enjoy so much of nature. This lake is such a treasure, for both you and I, but lets share it with natures friends and enjoy the beauty and amusement they give us each year.
These eagles were near the north end of Bailey Bridge on Rock Creek.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Advocacy Board Meeting
We had a board meeting January 12th the first meeting of 2010.We are planning to have a public meeting in April at Double Springs. There will be an election of officers and directors at the public meeting. We are having the meeting in Double Springs allowing our members living in that area, other homeowners, property owners to attend our public meeting. This will allow people to meet us, find out what our mission is and help us take care of Smith Lake.
Mary Ann reported on the current water testing. There will be a blitz bacteria testing on the lake in Winston County on February 6th.All testing equipment will be furnished by Alabama Water Watch, and reading of test results will be completed by AWW. There will be a bacteria testing class available on Friday the 5th. We need your help!!!
Judy and Mary Ann reported on how the kids at the Fawn program in October liked there program
Tom reported that the funding for installing signage on Smith Lake supposedly has been approved. Tom has a current list of all creeks, branches, total count 32. When we start installing these signs we will need some help. Give me a call if you want to help us with the installation of these signs.
We have a 2 day clean-up in April and a 3 day clean-up in June.
Mona is working on the Power Point Watershed Program. There will be more meetings this spring concerning the Rock Creek Watershed Management plans.
There have been 3 localized clean-ups, Rock Creek, White Oak and Crooked Creek. These clean-ups were completed by local homeowners using The “Advocacy boat and Barge”. They pick up only Styrofoam. We have arranged for a place on Rock Creek to unload the Styrofoam, the county hauls it off. We are in the process of finding other places on the lake where we can unload Styrofoam and the county will haul it off. Hopefully when another unloading place is found, there will be homeowners that want to clean up there part of the lake. The “Advocacy boat and Barge is usually available”, it belongs to the Advocacy membership!!
There were many other items discussed. The next board meeting is Feb.9th, 10:00 AM in Arley. The meeting is open to the public.
Mary Ann reported on the current water testing. There will be a blitz bacteria testing on the lake in Winston County on February 6th.All testing equipment will be furnished by Alabama Water Watch, and reading of test results will be completed by AWW. There will be a bacteria testing class available on Friday the 5th. We need your help!!!
Judy and Mary Ann reported on how the kids at the Fawn program in October liked there program
Tom reported that the funding for installing signage on Smith Lake supposedly has been approved. Tom has a current list of all creeks, branches, total count 32. When we start installing these signs we will need some help. Give me a call if you want to help us with the installation of these signs.
We have a 2 day clean-up in April and a 3 day clean-up in June.
Mona is working on the Power Point Watershed Program. There will be more meetings this spring concerning the Rock Creek Watershed Management plans.
There have been 3 localized clean-ups, Rock Creek, White Oak and Crooked Creek. These clean-ups were completed by local homeowners using The “Advocacy boat and Barge”. They pick up only Styrofoam. We have arranged for a place on Rock Creek to unload the Styrofoam, the county hauls it off. We are in the process of finding other places on the lake where we can unload Styrofoam and the county will haul it off. Hopefully when another unloading place is found, there will be homeowners that want to clean up there part of the lake. The “Advocacy boat and Barge is usually available”, it belongs to the Advocacy membership!!
There were many other items discussed. The next board meeting is Feb.9th, 10:00 AM in Arley. The meeting is open to the public.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Rock Creek Watershed Meeting in Addison, Alabama
Members of the Alabama Water Watch Program recently hosted a meeting about the Rock Creek Watershed. A coalition of groups including the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Winston
County Smith Lake Advocacy, Inc., the Winston County Natural Resources Council, the Winston County Commission, private landowners, ADEM, the Cullman Soil and Water Conservation District, and Smith Lake residents, 
are working together to prepare a grant that could help protect and improve the Rock Creek watershed. In order to get more involvement by local residents, this meeting in Addison was 
held at the Cullman Electric Cooperative building. An overview of the watershed area, which includes land in both Winston and Cullman counties, was given by the Alabama Water Watch staff. Alabama Water Watch is drafting a proposal that will result in a grant application being submitted to ADEM in April. If funded, the grant will help implement a variety of practices to protect and improve water quality in Rock Creek.The next day, a group toured various stops in the Rock Creek Watershed. More photos from the meeting and tour are here.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Flood Insurance Information
The Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) process
When your lender sends you a 45-day letter requiring you to purchase flood insurance, don’t panic. Here is what you should do.
First, get flood insurance before the 45 days expires. If you don’t, the lender will force place it. The premium will be very expensive. Ask for a “Preferred Risk Policy” or a “B,C,X rated policy”.
You will get ALL of your insurance premiums back if you are successful with the LOMA process.
Next,
You will need the following:
1. An Elevation Certificate. Call a surveyor or engineer to do this for you. Get someone who has survey experience around the lake. The surveyor or engineer should use the “Comments” section to explain how and from where he got the Base Flood Elevation used on the Elevation Certificate. For Alabama Power Company lakes, there have been no FEMA studies. However, there is “Best Available Data” that the community has sanctioned for these purposes.
2. A FIRMette which is a miniature version of the flood map panel on which your property and structure lies. The surveyor should be able to do this for you or you can do it yourself. If you want to do it yourself, use the following link to access FEMA’s Map Service Center web page. Follow the instructions and try the tutorial to “Create a FIRMette”. www.msc.fema.gov.
3. A copy of a properly recorded and registered deed or plat.
4. The Form 1 of the MT-1 Application package.
5. Send all four documents to FEMA at the address listed on the MT-1 Application instructions. The LOMA is free.
6. Wait 60 days for a response.
If FEMA agrees with your information that you are out of the special flood hazard area, you will receive a declaration document indicating that your structure is “REMOVED” from the floodplain.
DO NOT CANCEL YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE JUST YET!
Call your lender and inform him of these developments. Ask if he agrees/concurs. If he does agree, call your insurance agent and cancel your policy and request a refund of your premiums.
If the lender does not agree, you can call your insurance agent and request the “Preferred Risk Policy” which will be less than $300 per year. Escrow the premium. Remember, by Federal statute, the lender has the final say concerning the purchase of flood insurance. FEMA has no authority beyond the flood map review. And, if you have no mortgage, insurance is not required.
Download forms from FEMA:
Elevation Certificate
MT-1 Application Forms
SHOULD YOU HAVE PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS CALL
James K. Meredith, CFM
NFIP State Coordinator
State of Alabama
401 Adams Avenue
P.O. Drawer 5690
Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5690
Office: (334) 353-0853
Fax: (334) 242-0776
BlackBerry: (334) 590-4756
When your lender sends you a 45-day letter requiring you to purchase flood insurance, don’t panic. Here is what you should do.
First, get flood insurance before the 45 days expires. If you don’t, the lender will force place it. The premium will be very expensive. Ask for a “Preferred Risk Policy” or a “B,C,X rated policy”.
You will get ALL of your insurance premiums back if you are successful with the LOMA process.
Next,
You will need the following:
1. An Elevation Certificate. Call a surveyor or engineer to do this for you. Get someone who has survey experience around the lake. The surveyor or engineer should use the “Comments” section to explain how and from where he got the Base Flood Elevation used on the Elevation Certificate. For Alabama Power Company lakes, there have been no FEMA studies. However, there is “Best Available Data” that the community has sanctioned for these purposes.
2. A FIRMette which is a miniature version of the flood map panel on which your property and structure lies. The surveyor should be able to do this for you or you can do it yourself. If you want to do it yourself, use the following link to access FEMA’s Map Service Center web page. Follow the instructions and try the tutorial to “Create a FIRMette”. www.msc.fema.gov.
3. A copy of a properly recorded and registered deed or plat.
4. The Form 1 of the MT-1 Application package.
5. Send all four documents to FEMA at the address listed on the MT-1 Application instructions. The LOMA is free.
6. Wait 60 days for a response.
If FEMA agrees with your information that you are out of the special flood hazard area, you will receive a declaration document indicating that your structure is “REMOVED” from the floodplain.
DO NOT CANCEL YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE JUST YET!
Call your lender and inform him of these developments. Ask if he agrees/concurs. If he does agree, call your insurance agent and cancel your policy and request a refund of your premiums.
If the lender does not agree, you can call your insurance agent and request the “Preferred Risk Policy” which will be less than $300 per year. Escrow the premium. Remember, by Federal statute, the lender has the final say concerning the purchase of flood insurance. FEMA has no authority beyond the flood map review. And, if you have no mortgage, insurance is not required.
Download forms from FEMA:
Elevation Certificate
MT-1 Application Forms
SHOULD YOU HAVE PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS CALL
James K. Meredith, CFM
NFIP State Coordinator
State of Alabama
401 Adams Avenue
P.O. Drawer 5690
Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5690
Office: (334) 353-0853
Fax: (334) 242-0776
BlackBerry: (334) 590-4756
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A trip down Rock Creek
Last Saturday (11-14-2009) members of Winston County Smith Lake Advocacy and Alabama Water Watch took a kayak and canoe trip down the upper portions of Rock Creek.
This excursion was part of the Rock Creek Watershed Management Plan project, an effort to raise awareness and provide people with tools for keeping this watershed safe and clean.
In the coming months, the AWW will pursue a good, solid plan for keeping the Rock Creek Watershed safe and sound and it welcomes citizen participation in the project.
The Rock Creek Watershed covers nearly 200-square miles and is a significant source of water for
There were 10 people involved and using kayaks and canoes the participants paddled down about 4 1/4th miles of the upper Rock Creek. They put in where Winston County Road 39 crosses Blevens Creek, followed the Blevens to where it joined Rock Creek and then down to an abandoned bridge where Winston County Road 66 crossed Rock Creek.
This section of creeks features some rapids but not severe ones, wildlife (participants saw birds and a beaver) and the beauty of nature.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
meeting @ 7:00 P.M. November 12th
There will be a meeting in Addison at the new Cullman Electric Bldg on 278 @ 7:00 P.M.on Thursday November 12th. to explain about the 1st small grant acquired to proceed with the watershed study of the Rock Creek Watershed. Dr.William Deutsch, Eric Reutebuch and Mona Scruggs , from Auburn will explain why the Rock Creek watershed is being studied . The Rock Creek Watershed includes Crooked Creek and White Oak Creek as well as Rock Creek.
We had a local clean-up of White Strofoam Friday morning November 6th. The west side of White Oak and about 1/2 way down on the east side is clean. We would like to complete the clean-up of White Oak and Crooked Creek on some warm morning. These were local home owners helping to clean up their own area. We need 3 0r 4 volunteers for the next clean-up.
The "Advocacy" has the boat, equipment and operator. Will you help us keep your backyard on the lake clean? give me a call LaVerne Matheson 256-747-4422 (Winston County only, includes Crooked Creek)
We had a local clean-up of White Strofoam Friday morning November 6th. The west side of White Oak and about 1/2 way down on the east side is clean. We would like to complete the clean-up of White Oak and Crooked Creek on some warm morning. These were local home owners helping to clean up their own area. We need 3 0r 4 volunteers for the next clean-up.
The "Advocacy" has the boat, equipment and operator. Will you help us keep your backyard on the lake clean? give me a call LaVerne Matheson 256-747-4422 (Winston County only, includes Crooked Creek)
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