Lake Watch has a new president. At the Lake Watch of Lake Martin annual meeting in February, the gavel passed to Bill Butler to begin a three-year term as president of Lake Watch. Past president Matt Campbell will continue to serve as a director.

Citizen support is growing for conservation measures throughout the Sandy Creek area to protect single-family shoreline neighborhoods and natural, undeveloped lands. Lake area citizens recognize that ever-expanding, unrestricted commercial development and high-density residential development will not be good long-term planning for Lake Martin. The vast majority of Lake Martin shoreline property is county land where no restrictions apply, so anything goes.