“For years we never have known that Lake Murray needed some iconic welcome feel to it, signage,” said Miriam Atria, president and CEO of the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.

That’s what her organization is seeking to bring to the popular recreation destination with the “Welcome to Lake Murray” project.

The project will install a large sign welcoming visitors to the reservoir at the intersection of S.C. Highways 6 and 60, greeting drivers at the north end of the Lake Murray Dam.

“It is a spot that would get the most notice,” Atria said of the location. “It’s at the head of the dam. Lake Murray is a huge economic engine that generates major dollars not only for our community, for tourism, for businesses.”

The sign will spell out “Lake Murray” in four-foot-tall letters on a patio that is going to be approximately 10-12 feet wide and 55-60 feet long. Atria said the hope is to have the sign installed by the late summer, ahead of the lake hosting visitors from more than 30 foreign countries during the Black Bass World Championship in late October.

Atria said the group has been looking at visual ways to welcome Lake Murray for years, considering such ideas as uplighting the dam before settling on the forthcoming sign.

Having gotten permission from Dominion Energy, the state Department of Transportation and Lexington County, the tourism board will pay for the sign, drawing on the money it generates by selling ads on its website and in its publications and by the gift store at its Lake Murray Country Visitor Center on North Lake Drive.

The group sold engraved paver bricks for the landmark’s patio to the general public for $200 each through May 31 to bank money to fund upkeep of the sign.

“Unfortunately, graffiti and things like that will happen,” said Jayne Baker, Lake Murray Country’s vice president of public relations and communications. “So we’re just anticipating needing some funds for maintenance. We’re going to have a lighting feature on it. So of course that’s going to need to be maintained.”

In addition to visitors seeing it as they drive past, Lake Murray Country hopes some visitors will stop at the moment, which will be located right at the boat access and parking lot on the north side of the dam, to take photos and post them to social media.

“Perfect Kodak moment,” Atria said.