Check out our Swim Guide Report to be better informed before your next boating and swimming trip on the lake.  

The map shows the locations and July 2026 test results for our Swim Guide stations. The Green (235 E. coli/100 mL water maximum) and Red (over 235 E. coli/100 mL water) icons are based on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's water quality criteria for Swimming and Whole Body Water Sports. 

The results are indicative of the water quality at each site on the date and time that they were sampled and do not indicate current water quality conditions. Nonetheless, by also looking at the historical trends in the test results (in the Alabama Water Watch database, also available for each site on our Swim Guide webpage), the information serves as a guide to help avoid unhealthy water quality conditions.

Click here:  https://www.lakewatch.org/Swim-Guide   for additional information including  the dates that the sites were sampled, the most current test results and other information on each site. Get out on the water, be safe, and enjoy our Treasured Lake!

by:  Eric Reutebuch, Director, Lake Watch
 Appeared in August 2026 issue of Lake Magazine

Did you know that Alabama ranks number one among all states in the US for aquatic biodiversity? We are truly blessed to live in ‘America’s Amazon!’ Alabama rivers and streams have 340 freshwater fish species, more than any other state ( encyclopediaofalabama.org/fishes-of-alabama)! We also have more freshwater turtle species, more freshwater snail and mussel species, and more crayfish species as well. Who knew?

The Tallapoosa River Basin is home to Lake Martin, which lies in the Middle Tallapoosa River Basin. Lake Wedowee is in the Upper Tallapoosa Basin upstream. Lakes Yates and Thurlow are in the Lower Tallapoosa Basin downstream. The Tallapoosa Basin is a big contributor to our state’s number one status in freshwater fish diversity , home to134 species of fish (tinyurl.com/LMWatershed2012). In fact, we have some species that are only found in the Tallapoosa Basin and nowhere else in the world, four of which are mentioned below!

The rivers and streams of Alabama contain rainbows of color. The stunningly beautiful rainbow darter inhabits waters of north Alabama in the Tennessee Basin.  Closer to home, the waters of the Tallapoosa Basin have their own rainbows. Have you heard of the Tallapoosa Darter (shown, source: htnacifin.com/fish/tallapoosa-darter)? You probably haven’t seen one unless you’ve done a lot of wading and snorkeling in local streams. They are small, only growing to a maximum of around 2.5 inches long (outdooralabama.com/darters/tallapoosa). They spend their lives darting along the stream bottom (thus the name) eating aquatic bugs. What they lack in size, they make up for with their brilliant coloration. They are little swimming rainbows of color, rivaling the beauty of tropical reef fish.

Other beauties in the Tallapoosa Basin include the Tallapoosa Shiner, the Speckled Darter, Lipstick Darter, Longear Sunfish and the Tallapoosa Redeye Bass (shown, source: Drew Morgan). The Tallapoosa Basin is the only place on the globe you’ll find the Lipstick Darter and Tallapoosa Redeye Bass (outdooralabama.com, search Tallapoosa redeye bass) , as well as a not-so-pretty fish, the Tallapoosa Sculpin (tpimediagroup.org/lakemagazine/nature-of-the-lake/tallapoosa-sculpin/article_9d00843c-1bcd-5fa7-9707-0ab29b85fd0b.html).  The Tallapoosa sculpins (shown, source: TPI) are tiny, approximately the same size as the Tallapoosa darter.  They also live on the bottom of rivers and streams, eating aquatic insects, crayfish and other small fish. They are extremely hard to see due to their camouflage coloration.

As you can see, there’s a whole lot more to the aquatic community than bass, bluegill, catfish and crappie. The game fish get nearly all of the attention, of course, since they are fun to catch and quite tasty. The biggest game fish that anglers hook in the Tallapoosa Basin lakes are the Saltwater Striped Bass, ranging up to around 50 pounds. They are stocked into the lakes by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources nowadays, whereas they used to have massive runs up the river from the Gulf before the rivers were dammed. These Stripers would be considered minnows compared to the monsters that swam up the rivers beside them in pre-dam days, the Gulf Sturgeons, growing to over 13 feet long and over 300 pounds (shown, caught near Tallassee by Leander Ward in 1933, source: Tallassee Tribune).

This article is just a brief snapshot of the many fishes in the Tallapoosa Basin. For a good overview of aquatic critters in the basin check out the Alabama Extension blog article titled ‘Native Aquatic Species of the Tallapoosa Watershed ‘ at aces.edu, search Tallapoosa aquatic species), a book by Dr. Bill Deutsch, ‘Alabama Rivers: A Celebration And Challenge’ at alabamarocksandrivers.com, and a publication by Alabama Water Watch, ‘Citizen Volunteer Watershed Stewardship of Alabama’s Reservoirs-Special Lakes Worth Protecting, Lake Martin Watershed’ at tinyurl.com/LMWatershed2012.

Consider joining Lake Watch of Lake Martin to help us protect our lake, streams and the Tallapoosa River, and all of the amazing creatures that call this basin home. Go to www.lakewatch.org or scan the QR code and come onboard!

Eric Reutebuch has worked to protect Lake Martin and its watershed since the 1980s.  An Auburn University researcher and former Alabama Water Watch outreach director, he has served as Lake Watch of Lake Martin water monitor, past president and board member since 2015.

Check out our Swim Guide Report to be better informed before your next boating and swimming trip on the lake.  

The map shows the locations and July 2026 test results for our Swim Guide stations. The Green (235 E. coli/100 mL water maximum) and Red (over 235 E. coli/100 mL water) icons are based on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's water quality criteria for Swimming and Whole Body Water Sports. 

The results are indicative of the water quality at each site on the date and time that they were sampled and do not indicate current water quality conditions. Nonetheless, by also looking at the historical trends in the test results (in the Alabama Water Watch database, also available for each site on our Swim Guide webpage), the information serves as a guide to help avoid unhealthy water quality conditions.

Click here:  https://www.lakewatch.org/Swim-Guide   for additional information including  the dates that the sites were sampled, the most current test results and other information on each site. Get out on the water, be safe, and enjoy our Treasured Lake!

Check out our Swim Guide Report to be better informed before your next boating and swimming trip on the lake.

The map shows the locations and June 2026 test results for our Swim Guide stations. The Green (235 E. coli/100 mL water maximum) and Red (over 235 E. coli/100 mL water) icons are based on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's water quality criteria for Swimming and Whole Body Water Sports. 

The results are indicative of the water quality at each site on the date and time that they were sampled and do not indicate current water quality conditions. Nonetheless, by also looking at the historical trends in the test results (in the Alabama Water Watch database, also available for each site in our Swim Guide), the information serves as a guide to help avoid unhealthy water quality conditions.

Click here:  https://www.lakewatch.org/Swim-Guide   for the dates that the sites were sampled, the most current test results and more information on each site.

Get out on the water, be safe, and enjoy our Treasured Lake!

Lake Watch gave a presentation on the water quality of Lake Martin and its tributaries at the Alabama Water Watch Annual Meeting on June 6, 2026 in Opelika Alabama. There were 75 folks from around the state in attendance. We greatly appreciated the opportunity to share our Lake Watch monitoring efforts and results with a wider audience. Check out the lake's water quality by clicking on the picture below.

Check out our Swim Guide Report to be better informed before your next boating and swimming trip on the lake.

The map shows the locations and May 2026 test results for our 17 Swim Guide stations. The Green (235 E. coli/100 mL water maximum) and Red (over 235 E. coli/100 mL water) icons are based on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's water quality criteria for Swimming and Whole Body Water Sports. 

 The results are indicative of the water quality at each site on the date and time that they were sampled and do not indicate current water quality conditions. Nonetheless, by also looking at the historical trends in the test results (also available for each site in our Swim Guide), the information serves as a guide to help avoid unhealthy water quality conditions.

Get out on the water, be safe, and enjoy our Treasured Lake!

The Newsletter of Lake Watch of Lake Martin
Editor:  Eric Reutebuch
No. 60, Jan 2026

Letter from the President - Bill Butler

Greetings Lake Watchers, 

Good news! For a limited time only, you are being offered a very special opportunity: the opportunity to get more involved in Lake Watch of Lake Martin.  We are interested in compiling a database identifying the special skills and talents that our members offer. If you have any specific training or skills, whether it be as a scientist, teacher, lawyer, engineer, accountant, writer, web designer or anything else that you think might be of service to Lake Watch, and you are willing to share those skills, please drop an email to info@lakewatch.com with your contact and other information. We promise not to overdo it, but Lake Watch has a wide range of very knowledgeable people, and it seems that we could be utilizing our members more than we are.  Oh, and by the way, one of our first needs is someone who knows how to compile a database.  

By:  Bill Butler, Lake Watch President
Appeared in Lake Magazine, January 2026 Edition

Happy New Year!  I have a resolution suggestion.  Resolve to get your septic tank cleaned on a regular basis.  While a growing number of lake residents are on a municipal or community system and do not have this worry, the large majority of lake residents still rely on a septic system for their sewage disposal.  A properly maintained system does a great job in treating waste, but a neglected one can be a very dangerous source of pollution to our treasured Alabama Lake.

 Septic systems have come a long way since being just a large concrete tank set in the ground with a gravity overflow to some gravel-lined trenches.  Modern systems will have multiple chambers, often with an aeration chamber, to improve treatment efficiency.  The waste may then flow to a holding tank before being pumped to field lines for final treatment as it is absorbed into the soil.  Whatever type of system you have, it requires periodic maintenance.

Proper maintenance starts with familiarizing yourself with your system.  If you bought an existing house, you may have minimal information on the septic system.  Your local county health department maintains permit records, which will show the location and design of your system.  These records are generally not online at this point, so obtaining a copy of the permit requires an office visit.

The most important maintenance is to have the accumulated solids pumped out of the tank as needed.  How often this should be done depends on factors such as the size of the system and amount of usage, but general recommendation is to have the system pumped every three to five years.  If the tank is not pumped regularly to remove accumulated solids, the tank will be washed out into the drainfield, which can clog the pipes, requiring an expensive repair job.

Allowing the drainfield to be flooded by excess flow or effluent can also cause problems.  If you rent your house out to large groups, or if you’re expecting a lot of family and friends for several days, a recommended practice is to have one or more of your tanks pumped ahead of time.  Doing so will provide your system with some excess capacity to handle the increased flow and avoid drainage to your field lines.

 Another maintenance item is the effluent filter on the outflow pipe from the septic tank.  Basic septic tanks installed after around 2006 are required by the Alabama’s Department of Public Health regulations to have a filter to keep solids from reaching the field lines.  The filter should be cleaned at a minimum whenever the tank is pumped, sometimes more frequently; however, not all systems have filters.  If you have an aeration tank after your septic tank, there is probably no need for a filter.

Another important matter is to pay attention to what you put into your septic systems.  The ADPH and the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service both have excellent publications online with maintenance tips and long lists of what not to put into the system.  Newsflash; flushable wipes should not be flushed!  Why manufacturers are allowed to label them this way is a mystery.  Also, disposing of coffee grounds in the sink is like pouring dirt into your system.

Minimize the use of a garbage disposal.  It is estimated such use increases the volume of solids entering a system by about 50 percent, requiring more frequent pumping.  Most of what goes down a garbage disposal can be composted instead.

A sailor friend has a sign in his boat that reads, “Do not put anything in the toilet you did not eat.”  Hmmm… Perhaps a little extreme for home use, but you get the point.

Septic systems are designed and permitted based on the number of bedrooms in a home, not the occupancy.  A growing area of concern is homes with modest capacity, possibly with outdated septic systems, rented out to large groups of people for weeks at a time.  While Lake Watch does not believe septic systems impacting the lake are a widespread problem at this point, we have responded to a few complaints from residents this past year that appeared to involve discharges from overloaded systems.

One of Lake Watch’s priorities for the coming year is to learn as much as we can about the threats posed by inadequate or poorly maintained septic systems and to advocate with our public officials on the site and local levels to strengthen permitting and maintenance requirements. 

Please consider joining us at Lake Watch.  Just scan the QR code  or go to LakeWatch.org.    Also, check the website for information on our annual meeting, scheduled for February 22, 2026, at New Water Farms.  There will be free food.  Guests and members are welcome.

Bill Butler is a retired attorney, long-time resident of Lake Martin and President of Lake Watch of Lake Martin after drawing the short straw.

By:  Bill Butler, Lake Watch President
 Appeared in Lake Magazine, October 2025 Edition

It’s that time of year again. Summer has blown by, and now you’re facing all the chores you’ve postponed, as well as new ones, such as what to do with all the leaves lying around your yard.

There are lots of options, but one thing you shouldn’t do is blow them (or your grass clippings) into the lake. I know in the fall there is all that inviting bare space where the lake used to be, but using the lake as a disposal mechanism for your leaves and clippings is harmful to our water quality. Sure, leaves fall naturally into the lake every day, but we don’t need to artificially increase the load put on it.

Water pollution comes in many forms, including nutrient and organic matter pollution. Some nutrients in a lake are good. A lake with no nutrients may be perfectly clear, but it is also nearly sterile. Fish and the other organisms that support them struggle to survive. But a lake that has gone too far the other way is undesirable for fish or humans. Think of the murky farm ponds you have seen that you would not dream of swimming in. A lunker bass can sometimes live in these ponds, but at some point aquatic plants and algae can take over and their decomposition can deplete the oxygen in the water to the point that a fish kill occurs.

Leaves and grass clippings increase the amount of nutrients and organic matter in the lake. Nutrients encourage the growth of algae, which leads to a cloudy, undesirable lake. Any organic matter put in the lake uses up oxygen when it decomposes.

Oxygen in the water is measured as dissolved oxygen, and this is one of the tests Lake Watch volunteers perform as part of their regular monitoring program. A DO level of 6.5 to 8 parts per million is considered ideal. Fish and other aquatic organisms become stressed at levels lower than 5 ppm. My monitoring in open water on the lake typically shows a range between 6 and 8 ppm.

Scientists measure the amount of nutrient pollution in bodies of water by use of a scale called a trophic state index, which ranges from 0 to 100. This subject is addressed in greater detail in the publication jointly produced by Alabama Water Watch and Lake Watch of Lake Martin entitled “Citizen Volunteer Watershed Stewardship of Alabama’s Reservoirs – Lake Martin Watershed” and found on our website at lakewatch.org/info-&-resources.

This document explains, “At the low end of the scale, zero to 39, a lake is clean and clear with a very low concentration of nutrients, pollutants and algae, also called an oligotrophic lake. At the high end of the scale, 50 to 100, a lake is cloudy and green with a high concentration of nutrient pollutants and a dense algae concentration, called a eutrophic lake. Middle-of-the-road lakes with TSI values from 40 to 49 are in between the two extremes in water clarity, nutrients, pollutants and algae concentrations, and are known as mesotrophic lakes.”

Auburn University and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management have been measuring the TSI level in Lake Martin for many years. TSI is determined by measuring the amount of algae suspended in the water, but TSI is complex, with many factors such as the time of year, location, water temperature and amount of flow affecting the findings. Speaking generally, through the years since the late 1980s, the lower part of Lake Martin near the dam has tended to be in the oligotrophic to mid-mesotrophic range, while the upper part near the state Route 280 bridge has tended to be in the upper-mesotrophic to lower-eutrophic range.

However, the last two measurements of TSI in the lower lake, in 2020 and 2023, were the highest and second-highest levels recorded, bordering on eutrophic. The lower lake has been, until recently, the cleanest part of the lake. We are unsure why this trend of increasing nutrient enrichment is occurring, but it needs to be watched.

But back to the fallen leaves. Blowing them into the lake should not be a choice – there are many other options. (Burning is not a good option either, but I’ll let the air pollution folks handle that.) Probably the easiest option is mowing over the leaves with a mulching mower and leaving the clippings in place. They will gradually decompose and provide free fertilizer and organic material to your lawn.

My favorite method is composting them. There are lots of online guides for composting, but it is as simple as containing the leaves in a pile, adding green matter such as grass clippings and kitchen vegetable scraps when you can, keeping the pile moist, stirring it up once in a while and letting it decompose. You will get better and quicker results if you chop the leaves up first. You will eventually have compost that is better and much cheaper than what you would buy at the garden center, which certainly appeals to my thrifty nature.

Visit LakeWatch.org or aces.edu for lots of good information on composting and other yard topics.

Another idea: Treeless neighbors and friends might be glad to take the leaves off your hands. My mother used to patrol our neighborhood, looking for bags of oak leaves other people were throwing away. She had beautiful flower beds.

Of course, if you use a lawn service you can just have it haul the leaves away or bag them and put them in your garbage can. Neither of these options are great, but they beat putting them on the lake bed.

One added benefit is the lake will be a lot quieter without all the blowers. Which brings us to noise pollution, but maybe that’s an article for another time.

With the time you will save not blowing leaves, please consider joining us in Lake Watch. 

Bill Butler is a retired attorney, long-time resident of Lake Martin and president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin after drawing the short straw

by:  Bill Butler, President Lake Watch
 Appeared in July 2025 issue of Lake Magazine

Hello, readers. This is my first LAKE magazine article since becoming president of Lake Watch of Lake Martin. A lot of friends have been asking questions about the organization, so I thought it might be helpful to start out with some general information about us.

Lake Watch of Lake Martin is an all-volunteer nonprofit citizen group created in 1992 by a lake resident named Dick Bronson and several others who shared his concern over serious threats to the water quality of the lake. The biggest concern at that time was the discharge of poorly treated industrial waste and municipal sewage from an Alexander City wastewater treatment plant into Sugar Creek, which then flowed through Elkahatchee Creek into Lake Martin. Lake Watch’s efforts eventually led to a significant upgrade of the treatment plant, including the installation of a new discharge line that bypassed Sugar Creek altogether and discharged through a diffuser placed at the bottom of the lake, a little south of the Highway 280 bridge. Since that beginning, Lake Watch monitors have played key roles in identifying many pollution issues in the lake and communities around it and having those issues corrected.

In 1992, Lake Watch became the first group of citizens to be trained and certified in water-quality monitoring by Alabama Water Watch.

AWW is a citizen volunteer water quality monitoring program covering all the major river basins in the state. It trains people as water monitors and manages the database of all the samples collected. AWW has now established a network of many monitoring groups throughout the state, and Lake Watch of Lake Martin is recognized as one of the premier ones.

The Lake Watch mission is to preserve and improve the water quality of Lake Martin and the surrounding Tallapoosa River watershed. We try to accomplish this mission by focusing on three primary activities:

1. Water monitoring: We presently have about 35 certified monitors who regularly sample about 60 sites. Our monitors take water samples, usually on a monthly basis, and perform chemistry and bacteriological tests, looking for water quality problems. We check such things as the dissolved oxygen level, pH, alkalinity, hardness and turbidity. We also check for E. coli bacteria, the presence of which indicates that fecal matter is present in the water, which can be very dangerous to humans.

Since its creation, Lake Watch has submitted over 5,000 sampling data records to the Alabama Water Watch database. In addition to the obvious benefit of identifying acute water quality problems, all of these records are very valuable in establishing a baseline and providing documentation of long-term water quality trends all over the lake, so if a problem occurs, we will have scientifically reliable evidence to prove that something has changed and that it hasn’t just “always been that way.” The data we collect is available to the public on our website, as is data from our Swim Alert program, which provides our monthly monitoring results for E. coli bacteria at selected popular swimming sites on the lake.

2. Environmental Education: The second area we focus on is seeking to increase public awareness of water quality and watershed stewardship through environmental education activities. Lake Watch has been active in environmental education of students for many years. Lake Watch believes that environmental education of our youth is the best way to ensure that the good works of Lake Watch and other similar groups continue into the next generation.

3. Advocacy: The third area is advocating for clean water in the Tallapoosa Watershed. We work with governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations. We correspond and meet regarding issues of concern with federal and state agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is the agency that controls the operations of the Lake Martin Dam. We regularly file comments and participate in these agencies’ rule-making actions. Lake Watch was very active in the last re-licensing of Martin Dam by FERC, and we are currently participating in the re-licensing of Harris Dam because the quantity and quality of water being released from that dam will obviously have a direct impact on Lake Martin.

One of Lake Watch’s most significant achievements in protection and advocacy came in December 2010 when Governor Bob Riley signed an executive order establishing the special designation of Treasured Alabama Lake for lakes possessing exceptional ecological and recreational value. The TAL category has the highest water quality standards available under ADEM criteria. Existing water quality must be maintained and protected, and new pollution sources are generally prohibited.

In 2011, Lake Martin was designated as the first, and as of now, only Treasured Alabama Lake. This designation will help ensure the protection and preservation of the lake’s high water quality now and for generations to come.

We would love for you to join us, whether you want to be an active monitor or just support those who do. Our website lakewatch.org has links for joining, donating to help fund our monitoring efforts, reporting pollution issues and lots of other good information.

Bill Butler is president of Lake Watch, long-time Lake Martin resident and retired attorney.