Cagle: Let Lanier's level continue to rise

By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

With Lake Lanier at full pool for the first time in four years and still rising, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle this week sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking that they let the lake continue to rise another 2 or 3 feet.

Recent heavy rain sent the lake's level climbing above the  full pool level of 1071 feet above sea level Wednesday morning, and late Thursday morning, the level was at 1071.21 feet.

"I ask that the Corps not increase the release amounts simply because the lake is at or above 1,071," Cagle said in a letter to the district engineer for the Corps.

"I understand that with virtually no additional infrastructure development and cost, water could be stored up to the 1,073 or potentially 1,074 [foot] level," the lieutenant governor wrote. "All that Lake Lanier would need to reach this mark would be additional rain and well-managed releases. These few feet would offer billions of gallons of supplementary storage for both Atlanta and other downstream users."

Increasing the lake's storage capacity  "would not affect downstream user water quantity or quality," Cagle contended.  "As Georgia and the Atlanta area continue to do our part to conserve water, I would ask the Corps to strongly consider maintaining Lanier at these higher levels."

A spokeswoman for the Corps of Engineers said Thursday that Cagle's request was being reviewed.

"We have received the letter and are currently reviewing the letter and the Corps will respond back to Lt. Gov. Cagle," spokeswoman Lisa Coghlan said.

At its low point on Dec. 28, 2007, the level of Lanier, metro Atlanta's largest source of drinking water, dropped to 1,050.79 feet, more than 20 feet below full pool.