Lake Tuscaloosa was created in 1969 by damming North River. The lake provides water for the City of Tuscaloosa and Northport and their surrounding communities and also serves as one of Tuscaloosa’s major recreational resources. Approximately 177 miles of wooded shoreline surround Lake Tuscaloosa, and the streams feeding into the lake drain over four hundred square miles; providing a safe yield of two hundred million gallons of water per day. While the quantity and quality of the water supply is good, an increase in mineral levels has occurred in recent years. It is obvious that care of this valuable resource is essential to the future of the area.

As a recreational resource, the esthetics of the lake’s environment is as important as the protection of the water quality. Our generation bears a heavy responsibility and moral obligation to future generations in protecting Lake Tuscaloosa both as a reservoir and as a recreational area. Failure to protect the lake will have a negative impact on industrial development and economic growth, as well as our quality of life.