Shoreline Management Plan – A Chance for Your Voice to be Heard by the USACE

By: Clyde Morris, Vice President and Secretary

For the first time ever, LLA is going to poll all its members for input on changes they want to see in the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). This is your big chance to have some meaningful input into the Corps’ decision-making on this vital document.

The SMP is the official document the Corps follows in many of its operations on Lake Lanier. It contains the rules that govern whether you can have a dock, what size and configuration and placement you must adhere to for that dock, and many of the details about how you must maintain the dock. But it goes way beyond that – it also governs what you can and can’t do to the shoreline itself, such as whether you can install steps to your dock, what types of shrubberies you’re allowed to plant, whether you can remove standing or fallen trees from the Corps land adjacent to your property, and what penalties the Corps can impose if you violate those rules (like revoking your dock permit for cutting down trees on Corps property without a permit).

Many of us have had questions about the Corps’ rules from time to time. For instance, maybe you’d like a color other than black, brown, or aluminum for your dock. Or maybe you’d like to put up some decorative lights during the holidays. Maybe you feel you need a security camera to protect your valuable property stored in and on your dock, or the Corps has told you to block off a narrow walkway or to remove the covering you installed for shade on your party deck. Perhaps you’ve had issues with the dock permitting process. Maybe you mailed in a check and signed permit, only to be told months or even years later that your permit was never issued or has expired. Or maybe you wonder why a developer is suddenly allowed to install a community dock with dozens of slips while you wither on a wait list that may take 10 or 15 years before the Corps makes a decision on whether you can get a single-slip dock.

All of these issues and more are controlled by the SMP. And until now, those of us who are regulated by the SMP have had little or no input into the rules. Well, LLA is going to change that. We are going to solicit your input and present to the Corps a comprehensive report of recommended changes. And then we’re going to advocate for those changes – because getting the U. S. Army to change its rules is rarely accomplished just by asking politely.

We plan to kick off the process in early 2025 through an online system that will facilitate our tabulating all the suggestions and counting how many people are in favor of each. And yes, only LLA members will be able to submit their input.