Smith Lake: The Middle Named Lake

If you’ve seen the grandeur of Smith Lake’s emerald green water, then it likely comes as no surprise that The Alabama Water Watch rates our lake the #1 cleanest lake in the State of Alabama. The beauty that attracts lake lovers is the result of creeks that deposit into Smith Lake from water filtered by the Bankhead National Forest and the Sipsey River; and, combined, these two waterways flow into the main channel of Smith Lake. Yet, despite the rating of 3rd cleanest lake in the United States, many still regard Lewis Smith Lake as the “other” lake.

Whether you are a local, or a weekender, you’ve heard references to “our side” and “their side,” to “the Cullman County side,” the Walker County side,” and “the Winston County side.”  It’s not to say the sides of the lake are at odds, they aren’t; but the benefits that come from crossing sides could greatly improve our chances at making the upcoming changes great ones. By making a conscious effort to unify invisible boundaries, we can build a stronger foundation for the place we hold so dear.

Even with all its beauty and sprawling 642 miles of shoreline, Smith Lake has been missing something for quite some time. Many would tell you it’s the inability to sell alcohol, or the lack of eating establishments for lake patrons to fellowship. Recently passed legislation eliminates that theory as the culprit. In fact, the recent and forthcoming changes brought about as the result of Senate Bill 322 – which allows alcoholic beverages to be served at marinas meeting qualifications on Smith Lake with- in Cullman, Walker, and Winston counties, even though those counties are dry – is said to increase property value over the next few years, bringing growth and economic development to the lake area.

So, what’s missing? The answer should be evident to anyone who lives in the area, to the families who have been coming for years, and perhaps to the newcomers too. Smith Lake clearly lacks a true sense of unity and community. With the new life that has come to Smith Lake in the last decade, the once quiet lake has grown louder with increased traffic. Smith Lake is no longer a secret.

Whether you’re the fisherman waking up at 4am to cast your line before the workday, or the family who has invested in a weekend home to unplug and make precious memories of wakeboarding and other watersports with your children, or the dad preparing the boat for cruising with his grown children, or the boater mapping out the quickest way to visit all his friends’ docks in one day, or the elderly gentleman who sat and watched the dam fill up in 1961, or the grandmother whose days involve more porch-sitting than time on the water, or the family member from out of town telling your friends back home that they’ve never seen water so clear – it doesn’t matter. We all want our memories here to be full of happiness and love, and how we make them is up to us – that’s how we Smith Lake. It’s different, like the water that feeds into the main channel from varying creeks. We come to the lake with different interests. But, we can come together in our love for this awe-inspiring place, and we can make something whose beauty mirrors Lewis Smith’s 264-foot-deep emerald water – our lake, the lake that goes by its middle name.