Smith Mountain Lake Tree Removal

Smith Mountain Lake is a large reservoir southeast of Roanoke, with communities such as Hardy, Moneta and Huddleston around its long, wooded shoreline. Lakefront lots are steep, heavily treed and often reachable only by narrow drives, and many of the trees between the houses and the water lean out toward the light over the lake. That makes tree work here both common and unusually regulated.

The shoreline rules are different

Appalachian Power operates the Smith Mountain Project under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license and administers a Shoreline Management Plan. According to Appalachian Power's shoreline FAQs and permit application, the project boundary at Smith Mountain Lake is the 800-foot elevation contour (NGVD 29), and removing vegetation within that boundary generally requires a Vegetation Removal Permit before work starts. The application asks for a landscape plan showing the project boundary, property lines, vegetation to remain and vegetation to be removed, and trees or shrubs removed must be replaced with native plants as listed in the Shoreline Management Plan.

The FAQs also describe activities that do not need that permit, including removal of vegetation under half an inch in diameter, mowing existing lawns, and pruning (not topping) trees within the boundary, with thinning or limbing limited to 20 percent of the canopy or 14 feet, whichever is less, provided the vegetation's health is maintained. Clear-cutting is prohibited, and view-clearing requests are evaluated against the plan. Fallen trees in the water, called woody debris, are treated as fish habitat; Appalachian Power asks owners to contact them before removing it.

Bottom line: before removing any tree near the water, find out where the 800-foot contour falls on your lot and contact Appalachian Power's shoreline management office. Work done without a required permit can lead to a retroactive permit and replanting or habitat mitigation. Upland trees outside the project boundary fall under the county where your property sits.

Which county?

The lake borders more than one county, so check your tax bill. County rules apply above the project boundary; Appalachian Power's rules apply within it.

Typical lakefront tree problems

• Trees leaning over docks, boathouses and decks.
• Dead pines and hardwoods on steep slopes between the house and water.
• Trees undermined by shoreline erosion.
• Limbs over roofs and driveways on tight, wooded lots.

Steep lakefront slopes mean most removals are done in sections with rigging, sometimes with a crane from the road. Wood often has to be carried uphill. Stumps on slopes within the project boundary are often best left in place to hold soil, which is also consistent with the plan's focus on keeping the shoreline buffer intact.

Plan ahead

Permit review takes time, so plan non-emergency work well before you want it done. For hazardous trees, our risk assessments can document the condition of a tree, which is useful when applying to remove dead, dying or diseased vegetation. See also remove or trim?

Mention whether the tree is above or below the shoreline boundary when you call, and whether there is road access above the house.

Tree services available here

Tree removal, emergency storm response, trimming and pruning, stump grinding, lot clearing and risk assessments.

Call (540) 904-1819 or use the form for an on-site estimate.

Common questions