Lake Martin
Lake Martin is located in Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties in Alabama. It is a 39,000-acre (178 km²) reservoir with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. Lake Martin is a reservoir, formed by the construction of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate hydroelectric power for the Alabama Power Company. Construction on Martin Dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1926, creating what was at that time the largest man-made body of water in the world. Originally known as Cherokee Bluffs for the geological formation upon  which it was built, the dam was renamed in 1936 in honor of Thomas Martin, the then-president of Alabama Power Company. Alabama Power and Russell Lands own the majority of the shoreline. Tourism. One of the largest man made lakes in the United States, Lake Martin is a popular recreation area for swimming, boating, water skiing, camping, and golfing. Many waterfront neighborhoods and luxury homes are located on Lake Martin. The cities of Alexander City, Dadeville, Jacksons Gap, and Eclectic are nearby. Lake Martin hosts many events throughout the year, including fishing tournaments, an Independence Day fireworks show, and  the Alexander City Jazz Festival, an annual event every June in downtown Alexander City and at the Lake Martin Amphitheater. In 2009-11, the lake hosted AquaPalooza. Lake Martin includes many popular attractions, including eagles nests, sand beaches, restaurants, camping areas and popular islands such as Goat Island. The lake has several landmarks, such as the Smith Mountain Fire Tower, Kowaliga Bridge, and several marinas, but perhaps the most recognized landmark on the lake is Chimney Rock, a large rock formation that resembles a chimney. Though Chimney Rock is located several hundred yards away, the formation which most people call  Chimney Rock is Acapulco Rock. The area was the Tallapoosa River gorge before Martin Dam was built, and the water is more than deep. The spot is visited by thousands of boaters yearly, who park in front of "The Rock" to watch people climb up and jump off into the water. In July 2006, a teenager died after his jump from the rock. Lake Martin has become a weekend getaway for many families from around the South. Many exclusive multimillion-dollar residences are located on the lake; among the best-known is the former property of Richard M. Scrushy, the  founder and former chairman and CEO of HealthSouth Corporation, located in the Willow Point area of Parker Creek. Built in 1998, together with a guest/boathouse, the residence contains over . HealthSouth bought the home in late 2009 for $7.4 million as part of a $2.8 billion civil judgement against Scrushy for his fraudulent practices at HealthSouth from 1997 until 2003. Many other CEO's from Montgomery, Birmingham and Atlanta have homes on the lake. Alabama has a lake of a similar name, the Logan Martin Lake on the Coosa River, but Lake Martin and Logan Martin Lake are  not part of the same river system. Islands on Lake Martin. Small islands are popular spots on Lake Martin: Lake Martin tornado. On April 27, 2011, an EF4 tornado ripped across Lake Martin. Several valuable houses and businesses were completely destroyed along its path. Some vehicles were carried over 100 yards. The tornado resulted in seven deaths across the region. Its path through Elmore, Tallapoosa, and Chambers counties was long.