Photo: Michael Patch
Creating access pathways at Smith Mountain Lake
Before the Smith Mountain Lake Dam was completed in 1963 — in a bold quest for electricity that flooded the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers to lake capacity by 1966 — it was not uncommon to stumble upon an arrowhead or other artifacts of the Algonquian Indians on the pristine land they once inhabited, hunted and fished. Today, those submerged forests and fields boast 20,600 acres of water and 500 miles of shoreline, crisscrossed by well-maintained access pathways. More than 22,000 residents enjoy Smith Mountain Lake for its extraordinary scenic beauty and abundant water recreation activities. Photo: Mullins Media Co. for Southern Landscape Group
Photos: Michael Patch
Appalachian Power is the lake’s steward, charged with conserving its resources and supervising shoreline projects. If you’re planning a pathway from your lake home to your dock, Appalachian Power’s Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) necessitates a close read. The plan, created in 2003, is meant to “provide public and private access while protecting and enhancing the scenic, recreational and environmental resources and enabling the project’s primary function: the production of electricity,” according to Appalachian Power’s website smithmtn.com. The current SMP was updated in 2010.
Constructing a pathway at Smith Mountain Lake is a team effort, involving a dynamic coalition of talented surveyors, landscape designers and contractors. Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), is the team’s referee who enforces SMP regulations. Licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Appalachian Power owns the shoreline and controls the 800-foot contour National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGDV).
Photos: Mullins Media Co. for Southern Landscape Group
Bringing pathways to life
When planning your access pathway, you’ll glide over regulatory hurdles by hiring a landscape design company that has worked extensively with Appalachian Power. One such seasoned landscape company is located in Evington. Southern Landscape Group has designed and installed custom pathways at Smith Mountain Lake for more than 26 years. Their longevity and success stem from closely collaborating with homeowners and Appalachian Power, understanding their, at times, tense symbiosis to ensure both parties are happy with the outcomes.
Photo Courtesy of Southern Landscape Group
President of Southern Landscape Group Mark Maslow says their design process starts with discovering their customer’s goals. He explains, “It has a lot to do with talking to clients, trying to understand what their goals are, what they are trying to access and how they are trying to access it: By foot, for a wheelchair or for a dog. Knowing how they want to use the pathway is instrumental in the design.”
Photo: Michael Patch
At the same time, one must keep forefront the importance of learning and abiding by SMP regulations. In short, if your lake access pathway is above the 800-foot contour, no permit is needed; however, if it’s within the project boundary, you must secure a permit and comply with SMP guidelines.
Photos Courtesy of Southern Landscape Group
In turnkey fashion, Southern Landscape Group not only helps customers design their pathway but expedites the permit and installation processes. After meeting onsite with homeowners, they analyze the potential impact within the 800-foot contour boundary and, if the site demands, engage a surveyor like Accupoint Survey. A plan quickly blossoms into fruition. Maslow states, “We produce a plan of what the pathway will look like when it’s completed. We’re able to utilize that plan to show to the client, select materials and then walk through the proposal process, which brings it to life.”
Photos: Michael Patch
Conserving the ‘character of the land’
Last updated in 2014, Appalachian Power’s SMP rules aim to conserve the lake’s landscape and shoreline ecosystems. The SMP website delineates pathway materials and designs that achieve this mission:
- Access paths should fit into the character of the land.
- The path should avoid existing vegetation and wind around existing large trees and shrubs.
- Vegetation or additional mulch should be used to cover the exposed soil to prevent erosion.
- If paving materials are needed, gravel, stepping stones or other permeable materials may be used.
- Impermeable materials, such as asphalt or concrete, should not be utilized for access paths.
Maslow explains: “It’s very customizable up until the point when you get to the 800-foot contour. The 800-foot compliance specifies permeable materials beneath the 800-foot contours. Permeable materials include something like pavers, natural stone and slab.” Permeable pavers are soaring in popularity because of their propitious environmental benefits. Though more expensive to install than their non-permeable counterparts such as concrete, walkways made with permeable pavers minimize soil erosion. Water seeps through the paver joints and permeates the ground, avoiding flooding and water runoff that cause erosion.
Photos: Michael Patch
If a pathway installation upends shrubs and trees within the project boundary, Appalachian Power requires that the homeowner apply for a vegetation removal permit and render a drawing for the land’s restoration. This design should authentically reproduce trophic layers, replant comparable vegetation and use native plants. Maslow summarizes, “Any vegetation that is removed from the access of the pathway has to be permitted to AEP for their approval. The rules for a replacement are detailed in the SMP.”
Lake yards often slope sharply to the shoreline, so a railing helps protect pedestrians as they navigate the path. Maslow notes, “Railings are sometimes necessary depending upon the topography and slope; some people like them for stabilization for walking down the path. Sometimes if the drop off is more than 30 inches off the edge of the path, it would require a railing.” The SMP allows steps for pups and people, but they can’t be more than 5 feet wide. The pathway itself is limited to a 6-foot width.
Photo: Mullins Media Co. for Southern Landscape Group
It’s about protecting the shoreline
Building an access pathway at Smith Mountain Lake can seem intimidating with a corporate giant like Appalachian Power as your partner. While some homeowners chafe at this control over their private property, others accept and even respect the company’s environmental oversight. Maslow concludes, “The 800-foot contour is a good thing because it’s protecting the shoreline.” ✦