Lake Martin is located in
Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. The name Tallapoosa is of Creek origin, and many Indian villages were along the banks of the lower river before the 19th century. As of 2000, the population was 41,475. Its county seat is Dadeville....
,
Elmore CountyElmore County is a county of the State of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General John A. Elmore. As of 2000 its population was 65,874. Its county seat is Wetumpka.This county is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Area.-Economy:...
, and
Coosa CountyCoosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name derives from a town of the Creek tribe. As of 2000 the population was 12,202, but since that time it has lost the most population by percentage of any Alabama county. Its county seat is Rockford.Coosa is part of the Alexander City...
in
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
. It is a 44,000 acre (178 km²) lake with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. An artificial reservoir, Lake Martin was formed by the construction of Martin Dam on the
Tallapoosa RiverThe Tallapoosa River runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, in the United States, southward and westward into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and...
. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate
hydroelectricHydroelectricity is electricity generated by hydropower, i.e., the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
powerElectric power is defined as the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.When electric current flows in a circuit, it can transfer energy to do mechanical or thermodynamic work...
for the
Alabama Power CompanyAlabama Power Company , headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides electricity service to 1.3 million homes, businesses, and industries in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It is one of four U.S...
. Construction was begun in 1923 and completed in 1926, creating what was then the largest man-made body of water in the world.
Lake Martin is located in
Tallapoosa CountyTallapoosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. The name Tallapoosa is of Creek origin, and many Indian villages were along the banks of the lower river before the 19th century. As of 2000, the population was 41,475. Its county seat is Dadeville....
,
Elmore CountyElmore County is a county of the State of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General John A. Elmore. As of 2000 its population was 65,874. Its county seat is Wetumpka.This county is part of the Montgomery Metropolitan Area.-Economy:...
, and
Coosa CountyCoosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name derives from a town of the Creek tribe. As of 2000 the population was 12,202, but since that time it has lost the most population by percentage of any Alabama county. Its county seat is Rockford.Coosa is part of the Alexander City...
in
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its...
. It is a 44,000 acre (178 km²) lake with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. An artificial reservoir, Lake Martin was formed by the construction of Martin Dam on the
Tallapoosa RiverThe Tallapoosa River runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, in the United States, southward and westward into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and...
. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate
hydroelectricHydroelectricity is electricity generated by hydropower, i.e., the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
powerElectric power is defined as the rate at which electrical energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.When electric current flows in a circuit, it can transfer energy to do mechanical or thermodynamic work...
for the
Alabama Power CompanyAlabama Power Company , headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides electricity service to 1.3 million homes, businesses, and industries in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It is one of four U.S...
. Construction was begun in 1923 and completed in 1926, creating what was then the largest man-made body of water in the world. Originally known as Cherokee Bluffs for the geological formation upon which it was built, the dam was renamed in 1936 in honor of Thomas Martin, the then president of Alabama Power Company.
One of the largest artificial lakes in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Lake Martin is a popular recreation area for swimming,
boatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether power boats, sail boats, or yachts , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or waterskiing...
,
fishingFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
,
water skiingthumb|left|Slalom skierWaterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a motor boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water. The skier is either wearing one or two skis...
,
campingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights, usually at a campsite, which may have cabins...
, and golfing. Many waterfront neighborhoods and luxury
homeA home is a place of residence or refuge and comfort. It is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and be able to store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either living...
s are located on Lake Martin. The cities of
Alexander CityAlexander City is a city in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 15,008. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 14,957. Locals refer to Alexander City as "Alex City" . Alexander City is known for Lake Martin with its ...
and
DadevilleDadeville is a city in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,212. The city is the county seat of Tallapoosa County.Dadeville is part of the Alexander City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
are located nearby.
Lake Martin hosts many events throughout the year, including fishing
tournamentA tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s and a giant
fireworksA firework is a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
show on the Fourth of July to celebrate
Independence DayIn the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. Also included is the Alexander City Jazz Festival which has hosted such acts as
Béla Fleck and the FlecktonesBéla Fleck and the Flecktones is a multi-Grammy winning, primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones...
,
Los Lonely BoysLos Lonely Boys is a Grammy Award-winning rock band from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music which they dub as Texican Rock n' Roll, combining elements of rock and roll, blues, soul, country, and Tejano....
, and
Amanda ShawAmanda Amaya Shaw is a Cajun fiddler, singer, and actress from Covington, Louisiana.Shaw received some of her early musical training in Southeastern Louisiana University's Community Music School. Shaw studied classical violin starting at age 4, but began playing and performing Cajun music at 8...
. This yearly event is hosted every June in downtown Alexander City as well as on Lake Martin at the Lake Martin Amphitheatre.
Lake Martin includes many popular attractions, including several small islands. The lake has several landmarks, such as the Kowaliga Bridge, Willow Point Country Club, with a golf course, and several marinas, but perhaps the most recognized landmark on the lake is Chimney Rock, a large rock formation that resembles a chimney. The actual Chimney Rock is located several hundred yards away, and the name for the rock most people call Chimney Rock is Acapulco Rock. The area was the Tallapoosa River gorge before Martin Dam was built, and the water is more than deep. The spot is visited by thousands of boaters yearly, who park in front of "The Rock" to watch people climb up and jump off into the water. While many have enjoyed the thrill of jumping from these rock formations, a few jumpers have been seriously injured, paralyzed, or killed after jumping. In July 2006, a teenager died after his jump from the rock.
Alabama has a lake of a similar name, the
Logan Martin LakeLogan Martin Lake is located in east central Alabama on the Coosa River approximately east of Birmingham, Alabama. This 17,000 acre Coosa River reservoir was built in 1965 by Alabama Power Company...
on the
Coosa RiverThe Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers. It begins at the confluence of the Oostanaula and Etowah Rivers in Rome, Georgia. Around 90% of the Coosa River's length is located in Alabama. The river starts in Rome, Georgia and ends just northeast of the Alabama state capital,...
, but Lake Martin and Logan Martin Lake are not the same lake.
Islands on Lake Martin
Small islands are popular spots on Lake Martin:
- Chimney Rock Island - Chimney Rock Island has always been a famous landmark on Lake Martin. It got its name from a rock that protrudes from the top of the island that resembles a chimney.
- Acapulco Rock Island - Acapulco Rock Island is right adjacent to Chimney Rock Island at the Tallapoosa River Gorge. It is often mistaken for Chimney Rock. It looks like a chimney, weirdly.
- Doctor's Island - So named because a group of doctors used the island as a base camp to fish. Their camp remains but was destroyed by fire a few years ago.
- Goat Island - Goat Island is nestled north of Martin Dam. It has become the residence for a family of goats.
- Graveyard Island - A small county graveyard from before the Martin Dam is now a tiny island in Lake Martin. Only about 30 by around. It is in the Bay Pine area.
- John Island - John Island is a small island located between Willow Point and Kowaliga Marina. Over the years erosion has taken its toll on the island. Boats frequently park on its sandy shallow beach. It used to be known as Sand Island, but the name has recently been changed to John Island when one family started calling it that and the name stuck.
- Young's Island - The Young residence (of Young's ferry) was here. Destroyed by fire in the early 1990s. Foundation still remains and graves of the children can be found.
- Weed Hill Island - Weed Hill is a small island almost directly across from the Pleasure Point Marina boat ramp. Although at one time it was much larger, erosion continues to shrink the landmass.
- Wood's Island - Wood's Island is a larger Island that has a land bridge during low water times. It is an excellent island for hiking with several trails. It can be found at the end of Young's Ferry Rd on the West side of the lake.
Events
July 24–July 26, 2009, Lake Martin hosted the "signature event" of
AquaPaloozaAquaPalooza is a multi-location boating festival, sponsored by Sea Ray boats. It is promoted as "The World's Largest Boat Party" and claims to attract over 12,000 boats to 100 locations mostly around the United States, but also in several international locations.-Locations:The "signature event" of...
, a multi-location boating event which is billed as the world's largest. The event was headlined by a concert featuring
country musicCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
singer
Alan JacksonAlan Eugene Jackson is an American country artist who has sold over 50 million records. He was influenced by traditional country, and he was one of the most popular country singers of the 1990s, blending both honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits...
.
External links