The countdown to summer season at Lake Martin has officially kicked off.
The arrival of March 1 at the lake carries a weight far beyond the standard turn of the calendar page. Known locally as Plug Day, this date marks the moment Alabama Power closes the gates at Martin Dam and the water levels steadily begin their rise to the 491-foot summer pool once again.
kAm(9:=6 E96 E6C> !=F8 s2J >2J 6G@<6 :>286D @7 2 =:E6C2= DE@AA6C 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 =2<6[ E96 C62=:EJ :D 2 D@A9:DE:42E65 6?8:?66C:?8 762E >2?2865 3J p=232>2 !@H6C] t249 H:?E6C[ E96 H2E6C =6G6= :D =@H6C65 f 766E – `_ 766E 6G6CJ e J62CD – E@ 244@>>@52E6 D62D@?2= C2:?72== 2?5 AC@G:56 2 H:?5@H 7@C D9@C6=:?6 >2:?E6?2?46] k^Am
kAm!=F8 s2J 3682? :? a_`h H96? k6>m{pztk^6>m >282K:?6 7@C>2=:K65 E96 46=63C2E:@? @7 E9:D 6G6?E] (92E DE2CE65 2D 2? 65:E@C:2= 4@?46AE E@ 42AEFC6 E96 =@42= 6I4:E6>6?E @7 E96 =2<6’D H2E6C C:D:?8 92D D:?46 3=@DD@>65 :?E@ 2 4@>>F?:EJ\H:56 9@=:52J E92E 2?49@CD E96 DAC:?8 42=6?52C]k^Am
kAm%96 a_ae D62D@? 42CC:6D 25565 9:DE@C:42= D:8?:7:42?46 2D {2<6 |2CE:? 46=63C2E6D 2 46?EFCJ @7 E96 52>’D @A6C2E:@?] r@>A=6E65 :? `hae[ 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 E96 |2CE:? s2> EC2?D7@C>65 E96 CF8865 =2?5D42A6 @7 E96 %2==2A@@D2 #:G6C 32D:? :?E@ H92E H2D @?46 E96 =2C86DE >2?\>256 3@5J @7 H2E6C :? E96 H@C=5] k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C’D C:D:?8 E:56 :D ?@E >6C6=J 2 D62D@?2= D9:7E[ 3FE 2 C67=64E:@? @7 2 `__\J62C =6824J @7 4@>>F?:EJ[ C64C62E:@? 2?5 :??@G2E:@?] %96 AC@;64E 5:5 >@C6 E92? AC@G:56 A@H6C E@ E96 C68:@?j :E 4C62E65 2 4F=EFC6 46?E6C65 2C@F?5 2 =2<6 E92E 92D D92A65 >6>@C:6D 7@C 86?6C2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%@ 3F:=5 2?E:4:A2E:@? 7@C E9:D 46?E6??:2= >:=6DE@?6[ k6>m{pztk^6>m 92D =2F?4965 2 4@>AC696?D:G6 4@F?E5@H? E@ 7F== A@@= 24C@DD :ED D@4:2= >65:2 A=2E7@C>D] %96 5:8:E2= :?:E:2E:G6 9:89=:89ED E96 A6@A=6[ A=246D 2?5 6G6?ED E92E 567:?6 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 6IA6C:6?46[ 7C@> 9:89\DE2<6D 7:D9:?8 E@FC?2>6?ED 2?5 u@FCE9 @7 yF=J 2E %96 p|! E@ E96 :?2F8FC2= {2<6 |2CE:? sC28@? q@2E u6DE:G2= – 2 9:89\6?6C8J 255:E:@? E@ E9:D J62C’D 46?E6??:2= 46=63C2E:@? =:?6FA]k^Am
kAm%96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E9:D EC2?D:E:@? 7C@> H:?E6C E@ DAC:?8 :D 7FCE96C 9:89=:89E65 3J E96 :?G@=G6>6?E @7 k6>m{pztk^6>m 4@F?E5@H? AC6D6?E:?8 DA@?D@CD {2<6$42A6 2?5 #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C] k^Am
kAmpD 2 4@C?6CDE@?6 @7 =@42= 962=E942C6[ #FDD6== |65:42=’D :?G@=G6>6?E F?56CD4@C6D 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ E96 H6==?6DD @7 2 A@AF=2E:@? E92E 8C@HD D:8?:7:42?E=J 5FC:?8 E96 H2C>6C >@?E9D] u@C sC] |:496=6 v@=59286?[ E96 46?E6C’D 49:67 >65:42= @77:46C 2?5 =@?8E:>6 {2<6 |2CE:? C6D:56?E[ E96 DA@?D@CD9:A C6AC6D6?ED 2? :?G6DE>6?E :? E96 8C@HE9 2?5 D276EJ @7 E96 C68:@? D96 D6CG6D]k^Am
kAm“#FDD6== |65:42= DA@?D@CD >2?J 6G6?ED E92E DFAA@CE A6@A=6 2?5 3FD:?6DD6D H:E9:? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” v@=59286? D2:5] “x 2> 2=H2JD AC@F5 @7 #FDD6== |65:42=’D =6256CD9:A E9C@F89 DFAA@CE 2?5 2EE:EF56 @7 D6CG:46] xE’D @?6 @7 E96 >2?J C62D@?D x 92G6 366? 96C6 7@C ag J62CD]”k^Am
kAmu@C v@=59286?[ E96 4@F?E5@H? E@ 7F== DF>>6C A@@= :D >2C<65 3J A6CD@?2= EC25:E:@?D =:<6 AC6A2C:?8 E96 3@2E 2?5 5@4< 7FC?:EFC6 7@C E96 D62D@?] pD {2<6 |2CE:? 46=63C2E6D :ED `__E9 J62C[ D96 ?@E65 E92E 96C 72>:=J A=2?D E@ 4@?E:?F6 DFAA@CE:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E96J’G6 42==65 9@>6 7@C 564256D]k^Am
kAm“(6 2C6 3=6DD65 2?5 56=:89E65 E@ 92G6 C2:D65 @FC 49:=5C6? 96C6[” v@=59286? D2:5] “(6 3642>6 2 E9C625 :? E96 723C:4 @7 E9:D H@?56C7F= 4F=EFC6 7@C H9:49 H6 2C6 ECF=J E92?<7F=]”k^Am
kAmpD E96 H2E6C C:D6D[ v@=59286? :D 6I4:E65 E@ C6=2I 3J E96 H2G6D 2?5 6?;@J E96 D:>A=6 A=62DFC6D @7 =2<6 =:76]k^Am
kAm“u@C >6[ x =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ D@4:2=:K:?8 :? 2 ?@?\>65:42= 6?G:C@?>6?E[ =2F89:?8 3J E96 H2E6C 2?5 A=2J:?8 H:E9 >J 5@8D[” D96 D2:5] “%9:D !=F8 s2J[ x A=2? @? 8:G:?8 E92?<D 2?5 6?;@J:?8 36:?8 H:E9 7C:6?5D]”k^Am
kAmpD E96 H2E6C 368:?D :ED 2D46?E[ 76H A6@A=6 2C6 2D 72>:=:2C H:E9 E96 492?8:?8 D9@C6=:?6 2D E96 E62> 2E {2<6$42A6] k^Am
kAmpD 2 4@>A2?J 3F:=E 2C@F?5 6?92?4:?8 E96 {2<6 |2CE:? =:76DEJ=6 E9C@F89 5@4< 4@?DECF4E:@?[ =2?5D42A:?8[ D9@C6=:?6 >2?286>6?E 2?5 @FE5@@C =:G:?8 DA246D[ !=F8 s2J C6AC6D6?ED 6I4:E6>6?E[ C6?6H2= 2?5 E96 368:??:?8 @7 >@?E9D DA6?E >2<:?8 >6>@C:6D @? E96 H2E6C] k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 AC@F5 E@ 96=A 46=63C2E6 2 EC25:E:@? E92E 3C:?8D E96 6?E:C6 =2<6 4@>>F?:EJ E@86E96C[Q D2:5 4@\@H?6C[ y@5:6 |4v:CE] “!=F8 s2J :D 2 >:=6DE@?6 2C@F?5 96C6] (6 FDF2==J >2C< :E 3J D92C:?8 2 46=63C2E@CJ A@DE H:E9 @FC =2<6 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 4=:6?ED – :E’D @FC @77:4:2= D:8?2= E92E =2<6 D62D@? :D @? E96 H2J]”k^Am
kAmp=@?8D:56 96C 9FD32?5[ s2G:5[ E96 |4v:CE’D =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 4C62E:?8 >6>@C:6D H:E9 7C:6?5D] k^Am
kAmQ!6CD@?2==J[ 62C=J >@C?:?8D @? 42=> H2E6C 2?5 =@?8 DF>>6C 6G6?:?8D E:65 FA H:E9 7C:6?5D 2C6 92C5 E@ 362E 7@C FD] uF== A@@= >62?D 7C665@> – E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6IA=@C6 6G6CJ 4@G6[ 9@DE 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J @? E96 5@4< 2?5 :? E96 @FE5@@C DA246[ 2?5 ECF=J 6?;@J E96 362FEJ {2<6 |2CE:? 92D E@ @776C]”k^Am
kAmp=@?8 H:E9 #FDD6== |65:42= r6?E6C 2?5 {2<6$42A6[ 6249 52J @7 E96 @77:4:2= !=F8 s2J D@4:2= >65:2 4@F?E5@H? H:== 36 DA@?D@C65 3J 2 5:776C6?E =@42= 3FD:?6DD[ :?5:G:5F2= @C @C82?:K2E:@?] k^Am
kAm!=F8 s2J 2=D@ 24ED 2D 2 AC:>2CJ 64@?@>:4 6?8:?6 7@C p=6I2?56C r:EJ[ s256G:==6 2?5 E96 DFCC@F?5:?8 2C62D] (96? E96 “A=F8” 8@6D :?[ =@42= >2C:?2D 368:? AC6AA:?8 E96:C 7=66ED[ C6DE2FC2?ED :?4C62D6 E96:C DE277 2?5 E96 C62= 6DE2E6 >2C<6E D66D :ED 2??F2= DFC86 :? :?E6C6DE] k^Am
kAm(96E96C 2 =:76=@?8 C6D:56?E @C 2 H66<6?5 G:D:E@C[ E96 82E6D 4=@D:?8 2E |2CE:? s2> C6>2:?D E96 6I4:E:?8 AC@>:D6 E92E DF>>6C :D C:89E 2C@F?5 E96 4@C?6C 2E {2<6 |2CE:?]k^Am
kAm':D:E k6>m{pztk^6>m >282K:?6’D u2463@@< A286 E@ <66A FA H:E9 E96 4@F?E5@H? E@ 7F== A@@=] k^Am