North Georgia Lakes at Record Lows

Although it doesn’t make the headlines on the local news anymore, the election and economy have taken front stage, we still have a serious water problem in North Metro Atlanta.  Drought conditions continue to grow harsher across north Georgia. Water levels in reservoirs and streams are at or near record lows across most of the region. Groundwater levels are also low.

David Emory Stooksbury is the state climatologist and a professor in engineering and atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia.  He recently reported the following…

Lake Lanier, a primary water source for metro Atlanta, is at a record low for mid-November. The previous mid-November record low was at this time last year.

Hartwell, Russell and Clarks Hill lakes in the Savannah River basin are at record low levels. Both Russell and Clarks Hill have less than two feet of usable pool left. Hartwell water levels are dropping very quickly in order to meet downstream needs. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers reports that the remaining conservation pool for Hartwell is 34 percent, for Russell it’s 32 percent and for Clarks Hill it’s 10 percent.

Even with normal seasonal rains, it’s doubtful that Lanier, Hartwell, Russell or Clarks Hill lakes will fully recover this winter.

Major rivers that are at record low flows for mid-November include the Etowah River at Canton, the Chattahoochee River near Cornelia, Chestatee River near Dahlonega, the Middle Oconee River at Athens, the Broad River near Bell, the Little River near Washington, the Oconee River at Dublin and the Altamaha River near Baxley.

Because of the extremely low stream flows, many counties in north Georgia have had their drought level classifications changed to a more intense level.

Mr. Stooksbury goes on to say that Cherokee County is considered to be in the exceptional drought level (the most severe drought level we have).

Additional drought information and updates can be found at www.georgiadrought.org.  Automated weather data across Georgia is at www.georgiaweather.net.  Daily rainfall data is at www.cocorahs.org. U.S. Geological Survey data is at ga.water.usgs.gov.  Water conservation information is available at www.conservewatergeorgia.net.

The drought could cause serious problems for the future development of the Atlanta region.  Without a reliable water supply, there will be no more growth.  People use to think traffic was the biggest problem in Atlanta.  No water will prove even worse than a 2 hours commute.  Let’s all do a rain dance!

Related posts:

1. Mortgage Rates Make New Lows For The 9th Week In A Row
2. Georgia’s Newest Lake: Hickory Log Creek Dam in Canton
3. Georgia’s Statewide Water Plan