WHERE'S THE WATER?

> With the historic drought in its third year, Lake Lanier continues to set daily records for its lowest levels since it was built in the 1950s. Lanier is 14 feet below full and is expected to drop another half-foot by the end of next week.

> Lanier received less than one-quarter of normal inflow this month from the Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers and other tributaries.

> Only about one-tenth of an inch of rain has fallen on Atlanta in June, a month that typically brings 3.63 inches.

WHERE IS IT GOING?

> The sun: More than 190 million gallons of water evaporate daily from Lanier.

> People: Metro Atlanta is withdrawing about 400 million gallons of water a day from Lanier and the Chattahoochee.

> The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released an average 634 million gallons of water a day from Lanier in June. Releases ensure a steady flow in the Chattahoochee to handle the region's water and wastewater needs. With about 325 million gallons a day flowing in, the net loss is more than 300 million gallons a day.

WHAT'S THE FORECAST?

> On Thursday's semimonthly conference call among representatives of the corps and Georgia, Florida and Alabama, Andy Ashley with the corps said the drought will "re-intensify" with a hot and dry early July and mounting rainfall deficits.

> By mid-September, the corps predicts Lanier could drop another 2.5 to 6 feet depending on weather.

DID YOU KNOW?

Lake Lanier provides water to 3 million metro Atlantans. Some communities, including Gwinnett County and the city of Cumming, withdraw water directly from the lake. Others, including the city of Atlanta, and DeKalb and Fulton counties, withdraw from the Chattahoochee River just downstream.

For more information: www.georgiaweather.net; water.sam.usace.army.mil; www.nws.noaa.gov; waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/rt

Sources: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, National Weather Service, University of Georgia

 DALE E. DODSON / Staff
LANIER FALLING AGAIN 
Since Lake Lanier crested at about 13 feet below full May 24, the lake has fallen nearly a foot. It could drop 6 more feet by 
mid-September. 

Graph compares water levels in feet above sea level for Normal, Record low before drought and 2008 for the yearly period of Jan. 1 to July 1.

Source: U.S. Corps of Engineers