Lake Martin Topics: Why You Must Attend Lake Martin's FERC Meeting

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	Name:	MartiniMan -
	Subject:	Why You Must Attend Lake Martin's FERC Meeting
	Date:	7/17/2013 6:41:32 PM

I really think you make a lot of very valid points about the change in lake levels not being a panacea for all that ails lake oriented businesses. But I also think you underestimate the positive economic benefit and if there is no real downside to the increase in lake level in the winter and extension of the drawdown then why not support anything that can help the economy?

I can tell you an additional 3' would give me and probably a half dozen or more other houses in my little slough year round water. I have no doubt it would increase property values which is a positive. In addition, with the extended full pool it would make my dock boat-usable into the late fall when I would love to come to the lake but don't because I don't want to cart my boat in and out of the water every day. Multiply that on a lake with 700 miles of shoreline and you can see that it would have a reasonably significant positive economic benefit. That alone seems worth it especially if APCO is on board with the change.

On top of that, when the weather patterns change for the worse (and they will), having that extra 3' of water and the extended draw down timeframes would be a significant improvement on lake usage and would benefit those businesses that rely on people being at the lake. In 2007 we left after July 4th and never came back. I can tell you that was repeated all over the lake and as we saw with all the business failures it does indeed make a difference.

Would 3 more feet of water and extending the full pool curve bring folks in droves during the winter? Of course not and that isn't the point. I can assure you it would help a lot in the spring and the fall and that extra revenue would do wonders for local businesses. If the weather is bad then business is likewise going to be negatively impacted......but you can't do anything about the weather. But we can change winter pool and the rule curve in a way that will provide a boost to local businesses, increase property values and improve the views for hundreds of houses in sloughs all over the lake.

If there is little to no downside to this and all the benefits why not support the change?