Understanding the Muddy Side of Lake Martin Alabama

Is there a muddy side of Lake Martin? Have you ever wondered that? Have you ever seen a Google Maps image shot that made the lake look muddy and wondered if it was real? Well, in this blog, I’m going to clear this up literally and figuratively.

By the end, I hope that you’ll know why some people think the lake might be muddy, when is a potential time it could be muddy, and where on the lake that might happen. I will also give you a little bit of history too.

Why, When & Where the Water Gets Muddy

I’m a real estate agent, so everybody expects me to say, “Hey, it’s awesome everywhere.” But really, we need to dig into a little history so you can kind of see, like I said, the big picture.

First, you need to understand that Lake Martin is huge. It has 880 miles of shoreline over three counties. It was started back in 1926 when they damed up the Tallapoosa River. 

The Tallapoosa River original run comes in from the north, comes through where it crosses Hwy 280, and comes around to Martin Dam. When they filled it up, like I said, that was in 1926. At the time, it was the only reservoir on the entire Tallapoosa River. Therefore, Lake Martin caught all the sediment that was coming down.

You have to think of the entire Tallapoosa River watershed, which is huge. It stretches northeast Alabama into Georgia. Well, Lake Martin was catching all that sediment for many, many years. 

A big change happened in 1983 when they put in RL Harris reservoir, but we locals call it Lake Widowi. The reason Lake Widowi is critical is because it’s upstream of Lake Martin. Now it catches all the sediment that comes down from starting in Georgia all the way down through all the rivers and all the tributaries that feed the Tallapoosa. It hits Lake Widowi first and then turns back into the Tallapoosa River. Then, it starts to become Lake Martin in a place called Irwin Scholes. And so, that’s the start of Lake Martin.

Old-Timers’ Insight: Water Color Expectations

Sometimes you talk to people that have been around, especially old-timers, that say there is a muddy side of Lake Martin. I always ask them, “Well, when is your experience with the lake? Is it prior to 1983?”

I mean, hey, I was around in 1983. I can remember growing up. We had some friends that had a lake house close to the original river. And yeah, I’d say it was muddy on that side of Lake Martin. There was more sediment in the water back then, but a lot has changed since the 80s. And, the lake has gotten a lot clearer. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the clearest, most pristine lakes in the state. 

Educating Buyers on Lake Martin Alabama Water Conditions

As an agent, my goal isn’t just to sell a house, a lot, or a condo. My goal is to help my buyers understand the lake in general, educate them, and help them learn about the lake. I want to help them kind of sift through their priorities so that they know when they see something they like and can move with confidence on that. 

A lot of times when I do get a question about the muddy side of the lake, I try to kind of pick apart of that a little bit and see what we’re really getting at here. Because sometimes that fear may be overblown. 

I got the idea for this video and blog when working for one of my buyers. She showed me a screenshot, a Google map, and said, “Hey, I don’t want to be right here. Look at all this mud right here.” I was able to kind of drill down and figure out that the satellite image we’re looking at is actually from 2016 by going on Google Earth. 

Then, I figured out that I remembered that spring. It was like a February, and we had just had torrential rains. The lake was down, and it was torrential rains all over the Tallapoosa River watershed. So, you had all this water coming down through the system. And yeah, the water was staying there for a good couple of weeks, but it flushed out. It was a temporary thing. 

So, my thing with buyers is I don’t want them to let a temporary condition to color their overall picture, whether on the good for their priorities or bad for their priorities. My job is to help give you a big picture of what it’s like all year round. 

When Lake Martin Typically Turns Muddy

The next question you should be asking is not really where it’s muddy but is when it’s muddy. To me the biggest thing is timing of the year because we got an original river run here, but Lake Martin goes down 7 ft for the normal winter draw down. We call it Plug Day. 

They put in the plug around February 28th or March 1st and the water starts rising again then. That accompanied by the spring rains and pollen combine to affect the water clarity mostly in the spring. So, I think really the question to ask is when is it less clear? And, that is definitely in the spring. 

As a real estate agent, I don’t mind taking pictures in the winter because it’s clear and there’s bright skies outside. The toughest real estate pictures to take are in that stretch from about April when the water’s coming up and there’s a lot of pollen in the water. That’s when I would say it looks the less clear. 

How Pollen Counts Influence Water Appearance

You can look online and find traditional pollen counts. When they hit, obviously, Lake Martin is surrounded. We’re only 30% developed here at the lake. So, we’re surrounded by trees, thankfully. We have lots of different species of trees, both hardwoods and pine trees. When they all hit their pollen, you can see it. You can see it in the water. But, if you come back by the first part of May, it’s gone. 

Original River Run Areas & Slight Variations in Clarity

If you asked me if there is a muddy side of Lake Martin, then I would say, yeah, maybe. When you look at the original river course again, there’s Highway 280 riding the original river run. You know, there may be a little bit of sediment in there. But, honestly, it’s really clear there too. 

I’ve always wanted to do one of those Pepsi challenges where I get water samples from all over the lake and then blind test people to see if they can tell the difference. My opinion is they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. But, I’d say, on the original river run it might be a little bit less clear. Certainly on the Kowaliga side as well, because it has a backed up reservoir. You also don’t have many, if at all, feeder creeks that are still working that feed those areas. So, that’s my opinion on the areas of the lake. But again, it’s still super clear. 

Soil Type: A Major Factor in Water Color

When buyers say that they don’t want to step on a muddy bottom or whatever, I think sometimes it depends more on the type of the soil underneath the lake bed. For instance, I can think of homes that are near traditional creek inlets where some drainages come in, and you might have sediment over the years there.

Then, you also have areas like in the Kowaliga area that have some big stretches where there’s a sandstone base. It doesn’t feel like the Gulf Coast beaches, but it feels pretty beachy there. So, there’s differences in the soil where you can tell it a little bit there. But, generally, the water is so clear. It’s clear all over the lake. 

Rock & Hard Clay Bottoms Around Lake Martin

My rule of thumb is in the summer when we’re looking at houses and the water’s up, if I can’t see the bottom, then the water depth is greater than 10 ft. Right around 9 or 10 feet is where you start to not be able to see the bottom. And that’s pretty dog on clear. 

Just to give you an example of what I’m talking about, we’ve got the hard clay soil, and yet the water is super clear. Or, you can have a sandy bottom like in Kowaliga Bay. There’s a lot of sandstone, and you get a lot of sand kind of almost a beach like sand with a base of that hard red clay.

So again, kind of just depends on where you are. In one spot on the normal winter draw down near an original creek inlet, some of the subfloor is more muddy and kind of mushy to the foot once you get to the bottom of it. But, the water is still clear. Also, generally the bigger water you’re on the less it’s going to look muddy. 

You can see why Lake Martin was the first lake in the state of Alabama to receive a treasured lake status. It’s a fact. Lake Martin is one of the most pristine and cleanest lakes in the southeast. It is beautiful here. It is clean and the water is clear. So, if you think it might be a good fit for you, I’d love to help you out here. I’d love to give you the clear info that you might need. 

Contact Me!

I love what I do. I love helping people learn about the lake. So, if you think we might be a good fit, please give me a call. You can also reach me through my email or Contact Page.

I’m on a mission to be the most helpful real estate agent on Lake Martin. That’s why I make videos and write blogs like this. My YouTube channel is how I get a lot of my clients, too. So, definitely check it out and please subscribe if you find it helpful to you.

And if you haven’t, I learned recently that 75% of the people that watch my videos don’t subscribe. So, please subscribe because that will queue up the videos for you. When you go to YouTube, boom, it’ll be right there. You won’t have to search for it. I’d love to help you out. I’m John Coley with Lake Martin Voice Realty.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, then check out these by visiting the links listed below:

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