Name:   MartiniMan - Subject:   It's not all gloom and doom Date:   7/6/2017 8:53:59 AM

No worries on the typos.  Heck, I make them all the time from my computer.  If you look at the data compiled by ADEM and Auburn University you will see the water quality in the northern portion of the lake is not as good as it is as you move further south.  They attribute this to Alex City which in my experience in the environmental business is a very reasonable conclusion.  Keep in mind that pretty much all stormwater from Alex City ends up in the lake, especially from residential areas where there are no stormwater detention ponds like you see with industrial facilities and new subdivisions.

I am not saying that the new development on the lake doesn't contribute to water quality but that its contribution is minimal when compared to what is getting into the lake from the river and its tributaries.  And I would venture to guess that the septic systems put in for these homes are much better designed than those installed with the older homes.  I also agree that these homes likely treat their lawns with pesticides and herbicides but today's technologies and products are much more environmentally friendly.  Anyway, my basic point is that the concern about the new homes on the lake is probably overstated when you look at the data.  Not zero, but not what it would appear to be.