Docks, Shoreline & AEP: What Every Buyer Should Know

Who actually controls the shoreline

Smith Mountain Lake is a 20,600-acre reservoir with over 500 miles of shoreline, created when the Roanoke and Blackwater rivers were dammed at Smith Mountain gorge between 1960 and 1963. It is operated by Appalachian Power under a federal license from FERC, renewed in 2009 for a thirty-year term.

That matters to you because AEP — not your county, and not you — manages what happens at the water's edge.

795 and 800: the two numbers to remember

Full pond is 795 feet above sea level. AEP's shoreline management authority extends to the 800-foot contour — roughly five vertical feet above the water surface. Anything you want to do below 800 feet is AEP's call.

That includes building or modifying a dock, adding riprap for erosion control, and removing trees or vegetation. Vegetation removal generally requires replanting with native species.

The permit process, realistically

A new or modified dock permit typically requires a licensed surveyor — commonly $800 to $1,000 — and a minimum thirty-day review by AEP's shoreline management staff. Use a dock builder who files these routinely; the ones who do not will cost you a season.

The 2003 line

Docks built before 2003 are generally grandfathered even where they would not meet current standards. But modifications can pull the structure under today's rules. If you are buying a house because of its enormous old dock and you intend to change anything about it, get that question answered in writing during your due diligence.

What to verify before you close

Is there a current, valid permit on file for the existing dock?

Does it transfer to you, and what does AEP require at transfer?

What is the permitted size, and is what is built actually what was permitted?

What is the water depth at the dock at low pond, not just today?

Is any part of the structure encroaching on the project boundary or a neighbor's frontage?