Creative Uses For Lake Alerts
The original concept of LakeLevelAlert.com simply involved letting lake homeowners know via email of rising and falling lake levels so that they could move their docks and boats in or out accordingly in order to prevent dock groundings, ramp submersions and the trouble and damage associated with either result.
Dock and boat alerts continue to be the predominant use for lake level alerts but I have been amazed at the many creative, alternative uses for lake alerts that users have come up with. I usually will email a user to find out more information if I see a new use for lake alerts that looks interesting. I thought I would share a few of my favorite variations. These are the actual alert titles. Perhaps you will find some of these ideas useful as well.
Move Boat Out of Slip
This user appears to be in a cove where, when lake levels fall, the cove becomes small and shallow to the point where eventually there boat becomes locked inside their boat slip. This lake alert is truly handy in that it reminds the homeowner to move the boat to the outside of the slip while there is still enough water in the cove to maneuver the boat without damaging the prop.
Boat Lift Alert
Another boat slip related alert warns the boat owner to move his dock out or remove his boat from the slip before water levels reach a low point where his boat lift can no longer be lowered.
Safe To Jump off Dock
A registrant recently created a lake level alert to let them know when water levels become safe on lake Lanier in Georgia for jumping off the top of their dock. To this person, I ask you to please be safe, always confirm safe water levels BEFORE jumping, never dive and please make sure that you have read our site policy.
Take the Short Cut or Take the Long Way Home
This boater created a pair of alerts that let them know when and when NOT to use the “short cut” in and out of their area of Lake Hartwell. The first high water lake alert lets the user know when a “short cut” from his area of the lake to the main lake can be safely navigated. This “short cut” forms when the lake level rises and covers a low lying peninsula of land that normally connects the main shoreline with what ends up being an island.
The second alert lets the boater know when to take the long way home due to low lake levels making the short cut impassable.
Boat Can Pass Under Bridge
The title pretty much says it all. This user actually depends on the level of the lake dropping in order for his boat to be able to pass beneath an interstate bridge allowing him to sail into new territory. This user set a low lake level alert to let him know when lake levels are low enough to allow him to pass beneath the bridge.
Move Lake Furniture
Lake homeowners and weekenders on Lake Wedowee in Alabama know that the lake level is lowered 8-10 feet every winter in order the generate power and for regular lake maintenance. For many, this provides a beach area that allows them to place lawn chairs and tables along the shoreline. A few Lake Level Alert users on Wedowee now have lake alerts set to let them know when it is time to move their lake furniture off of the beaches when the lake begins to rise.
Go Fish
Many Fishing charter services and anglers have signed up since the launch of LakeLevelAlert.com. Most of the alerts created by these users deal with knowing when various points are above or below the water, when cover such as downed trees, brush and shoreline stumps are exposed or submerged and what boat ramps are usable in various areas of their respective lakes. I also see many fishermen who set alerts to let them know when narrow channels and shallow creeks are or are not accessible for fishing based on the current lake levels.
Rope Swing
Similar to the user who wants to know when it is safe to jump off the top of their dock, this user is lucky enough to have a rope swing to launch themselves into the waters of Lake Lanier and uses lake alerts to let them know when the water is or is NOT safe for swinging. Once again I ask anyone using a Lake Level Alert for this purpose to please be safe, always confirm safe water levels BEFORE jumping or swinging, never dive and please make sure that you have read our site policy.
Real Estate Agents
A few Real Estate agents on various lakes now use lake alerts to know when to adjust dock placement for lake homes that they are listing. Their alerts keep the docks associated with each home from becoming grounded due to low lake levels or inaccessible through a submerged ramp due to high lake levels.
So there you have it. The ever-expanding list of creative and useful reasons for creating lake alerts. I hope that this list will help spawn new ideas. If you have a use that has not been mentioned on this page, please contact us and we will add it.