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Jo-Ann Van Vechten

Franklin County Economic Development Update

Mr. Burnette, Franklin County, VA will present a Franklin County Economic Development Update, on April 1, at the Westlake Country Club located in Hardy, VA. The presentation will start at 9 am and is sponsored by the Lake2Lake Referral organization. The country club is located on Morewood Road in the Chestnut Creek subdivision. The public is invited to attend. For questions call Jo-Ann Van Vechten 540-420-1013.

Farmers - Do You have Waterfront?

For farmers that have waterfront property look at the State of Virginia's website for information on earning 25% state income tax credit by replacing buffers. Go to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil_and_water/crep.shtml for specifics. There are still farmers with waterfront property on Smith Mountain Lake and they can help conserve the lake by reducing sediment going into it.

Keep Aware of Projects on Smith Mountain Lake

A town meeting will be held by the Smith Mountain Lake Association (SMLA) on Tuesday, March 23 at 6 pm at Trinity Ecumenical Parish on Rt 122 in Moneta, VA. For those that are interested in Smith Mountain Lake, this meeting will be very informative about water quality, invasive weeds, and most importantly a discussion about the Shoreline Management Plan. The Shoreline Management Plan, while needed, has caused a few of our clients to tear their hair out when trying to transfer a dock to a new owner of their property, or cutting down trees below the 800 foot level.

Boating on Smith Mountain Lake

Each year there are accidents on Smith Mountain Lake, who knows why they happen, but I suspect many are because some boaters have no idea of what they are doing. When we started boating in the Potomac River in the Washington DC area, the first thing we did was take a safe boating course. The responsibility of being the captain of a boat with guests aboard is significant. Free boating courses are being held in various locations throughout the Smith Mountain Lake area, visit SmithMountainEagle.com to see the schedule and register. Smith Mountain Lake is approximately 45 minutes from Roanoke, VA and is 40 miles long with 550 miles of shoreline. If you want a wonderful quality of life, you need to be here!

Lake Turnover - Smith Mountain Lake

Smith Mountain Lake started to get a little blue/brown after all the unusual snow that we had this winter. I thought the color was a result of run off from the snow upstream and was worried if it was going to stay that way all summer. However, it is actual a natural phenomenon called Lake Turnover or Inversion according to a quote from Pam Dinkle, the Lake Management and Project Coordinator for the Tri-County Lake Administrative Commission. This naturally occurring process supplies oxygen-rich water from the surface to the stagnant water at the bottom - Nature's own washing machine. For more information on this naturally occurring process, visit the Smith Mountain Eagle's website and reference the article written by Rebecca Jackson.