How Georgia's Drought Effects Lake Lanier

Buford dam connects Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River. You can drive over it and see the beauty of the river to one side and Lake Lanier on the other. At certain times you can pass by and see the fog literally roll up the river towards the dam. Lake Lanier is loved by all its residents and is a family hot spot to either go swimming or out on your boat. The fishing in lake Lanier is what drives many people to return each weekend. The lake however looks nothing like it once did. The drought in north Georgia has made the water levels drop seriously low. Instead of deep water there is dried up red clay.

Sonny Perdue, the states governor, has declared a water crisis for all of Georgia's northern counties, including mine. I live only about 15 minutes from Lake Lanier in Forsyth County and have seen the effects first hand. He has also asked President Bush to declare the 85 counties most effected by the drought as federal disaster areas.

The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing more than the usual amount of water from Lake Lanier into the Chattahoochee river. The reason is because in Alabama and Florida there is an endangered species of mussels that might be wiped out if the water levels become too low. They are releasing five times the amount of water to other states while Georgia remains in a drought itself. Neither the entire state of Florida nor many parts of Alabama have any water restrictions yet they are the states that are taking the lakes water. Georgia residents are all on water restrictions and its hurting more than just our gardens. Georgia's agriculture is being deeply effected by the lack of rain and now the water taken from the lake.

Georgia's governor is doing all that he can to save the Lake Lanier. He gave a press conference standing on the red clay soil where the water level use to be at Lake Laneir. The Army Corps of Engineers is still in the process of deciding what to do. They have refused to stop releasing water from the lake at high levels. The situation is dire because on one hand you have an endangered species and on the other you can the economy of half the state of Georgia. If a solution is not reached soon the effects on Georgia's residents and agriculture could be damaged for years to come.