Nice drink, but Lanier still thirsty

Three days of rain lifted Lake Lanier to its highest level since late 2007.

But the half-foot gain may be the last big hurrah for metro Atlanta’s primary water source before next winter. As temperatures start to climb along with water use, Lanier most likely is “peaking out,” said the state’s top water official.

“We’re still well off where we’d hoped to be,” Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director Carol Couch said Monday.

Just three months ago, Lanier was about 20 feet below full. Now it’s more than 11 feet under, thanks to winter rains and less water released from it. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates the federal reservoir, predicts the lake will remain near 1,058.7 feet above sea level, its current level, through early April.

Lanier’s level normally starts to fall by mid-May due to less rain, evaporation, and increased water needs downstream for communities, farmers and industries.

Weather more consistent with the ongoing drought returns today, with sunshine breaking through after a foggy morning. For the year, Atlanta’s rainfall is nearly 3 inches below average.

 ELIZABETH LANDT / Staff 
Making water while the rain falls 
Lake Lanier rose half a foot since the rain started early Saturday. It's still more than 11 feet below full, which is 1,070 feet above sea level. 

Graph tracks water level from Jan. 1 to Monday. 
Jan. 1: 1,053.13
As of 5:15 p.m. Monday: 1,058.74 feet above sea level
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers