Gene Kearns wrote:
We're looking at lakefront property in S.C.
Once I get my own dock, .......


Clams,

From this, I assume from this that you are in charge of the
waterfront..... if so, you need to be very careful where you locate.
We have had drought in this are so badly, of late, that lots of
dockage has been *way* high and dry.

The terrain has a lot to do with whether you're left high and dry or
not. It's nice to have a level or only gently sloping back yard, but tht
gentle slope is likely to continue on into the lake, which means shallow
water under the dock and for quite a way out from shore...which in turn
maean that when the water level drops, the linear feet can be 3-5x the
amount of the vertical drop. Conversely, a steep back yard usually
means deep water...so when the water level drops, there's a lot more of
it left under the dock.

Something to consider in your house hunting. It may be a major PITA to
climb up and down a 50' hill from the house to the dock...but if
flucuating water levels are likely to be a major issue, better to do
that than have your entire cove turn into a mud flat every time the lake
drops 6-8'.

Peggie
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Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/html/get_ri...oat_odors.html