Page 46 - Discover Spring 2021

C Clubs and Organizations
ns
nd Org
i
bs a
niza
l
u
a
o
t
Clubs and Organizations

Water, Water Everywhere,

Now If I Could Just Find My Boat!

The year 2020 was full of challenges. Two prone to collapsing. Staying off the lake and
of those were high water events for our Lake treating SML as a No Wake Lake are the
community. Given the influx of new residents responsible things to do during high water,
and the results of last year, your Water Safety and for days after the level drops.
Council has put together some Lessons
- High water events trigger large quantities
Learned, and offers advice to keep in mind
of floating and partially submerged “boat
before the next rising of the waters:
eating” debris, making safe navigation tough
- Always tie your boat up, even if it is in a at best. A power craft is no match for things
lift or on shore. Un-secured boats often get like whole telephone poles, 31 foot tree trunks,
underway with rising water. Over 50 boats 55 gallon drums, dock floater sections, and the
had to be “rounded up” by Marine Fire and occasional inverted picnic table at any speed.
Rescue, the Virginia Department of Wildlife
- If you see large objects or large quantities
Resources, and Sea Tow last year, with many
of debris rafted up please submit a debris
making it out into the main channels. One
report to American Electric Power (AEP)
day the family yacht, the next a hazard to
as published through www.smithmtn.
navigation!
com , “Debris Management Plan”, “Report
- Any size wake can cause some level of Debris” with as much detail as possible.
damage to shoreline, docks and landscaping AEP prioritizes these reports and dispatches
in high water. They can easily over-pressure afloat resources, placing first priority on main
a submerged boat house structure. The channel dangers. Be patient; our big lake
shoreline becomes saturated, unstable and can take weeks to months to clean up after

44 Discover Smith Mountain Lake SPRING 2021