On Sep 24, 4:40?am, wrote:
On Sep 24, 7:32 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:





"HK" wrote in message

...

Chuck Gould wrote:
Interesting situation that could set some dangerous precedents.

A judge in Alabama is deciding whether residents living around a lake
can
decide what sort of watercraft will be allowed to use the lake.

*************

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A state judge could decide in a little more
than a month whether to uphold an Alabama law banning high-speed
cigarette boats and large house boats from three popular Alabama
lakes.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Johnny Hardwick heard the final
testimony Monday in a lawsuit challenging the law. He gave attorneys
for both sides 30 days to prepare proposed orders and said he would
rule shortly after receiving them.

In 2006, the Legislature passed - and the governor signed -
legislation that banned some boats from three Alabama Power Co .
lakes: Martin, Weiss and Harris, which is also known as Lake Wedowee.
Banned were cigarette boats longer than 26 feet, 11 inches and rated
for speeds more than 60 mph, and all new boats, including houseboats,
longer than 30 feet, 6 inches. Houseboats already on the lake could
remain, provided they had sanitation systems designed to prevent waste
from getting into the lakes.

Opponents of the law challenged it in court, and state Conservation
Commissioner Barnett Lawley delayed enforcement pending a ruling.

"We still feel that there's no reasonable basis to single out these
law-abiding boaters," Montgomery attorney Frank Wilson told The Daily
Home of Talladega. Wilson represents a Jasper boat dealer and several
boat owners on Lake Martin.

Montgomery attorney Bobby Segall, who represents four Lake Martin
residents, said the law "reflects what 95 percent of the residences on
Lake Martin want." He said the state has the right to set aside water
for specific uses much like it does land.

Alabama Power intervened in the case in support of the law, saying it
has an interest in protecting property values and property uses
because it is a significant landowner at the lakes.

The push for the law began after Georgia developers expressed an
interest in building a resort community on Lake Harris, provided
boating restrictions were enacted.

Information from: The Daily Home - Talladega,http://www.dailyhome.com

Banning superfast boats on small lakes isn't necessarily a bad idea, nor
is banning boats larger houseboats.

Why larger houseboats? Why not all boats larger than a certain size? This
question is based on the assumption that the reporter's information is
accurate. He mentions sanitation systems......can't other boats have issues
with sanitation, or just houseboats?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Remember, people live in anything down there, I have lived in Bama'
some of the dwellings I saw would not be acceptable as sheds here in
the NE.. This is probably more local than we know. These boats must be
the ones stirring up problems, cigarette boats,the problems are
obvious, with the houseboats, you could be having an influx of
permanant residences being estalished on the lakes, the locals could
be trying to slow this down...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I found this site for one of the lakes.

http://www.lakewedowee.info/Boating.asp


It's a long skinny lake that branches off into what were once a series
of valleys and gullies before they put in the dam. As such, there must
be 100 miles of "shoreline", but according to the map I'd estimate
that it would be possible to run about 20 miles from one end to the
other, assuming it's all navigable. (One portion is supposed to be 780
feet deep).

The shoreline is *not* lined with residences, at least not in the
couple of photos shown on this site. The power company owns a lot of
the real estate, (according to the AP article), and much of the rest
is apparently undeveloped rural land.

There are about 8 boat ramps listed for the lake, but no actual
"marinas".

Those rural homeowners are apparently looking for a big payday from
the company that has expressed an interest in developing land if
boating is "restricted". I guess I can see where the resort company
would be in 7th heaven with 60 virgins if they went so far as to close
the boat ramps as well. If boating gets "restricted" enough and it's
done just right, nobody will be able to boat on the lake without first
renting or chartering a boat from the resort.