Q: With all the rain we’ve had recently, why have North Georgia lakes Nottely and Blue Ridge remained so far below normal?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Q: With all the rain we’ve had recently, why have North Georgia lakes Nottely and Blue Ridge remained so far below normal? — Jim Dillon, Atlanta

A: The Tennessee Valley Authority is currently drawing down the water on its reservoirs, including Nottely in North Georgia near the North Carolina border, and Blue Ridge, on the Toccoa River in the Chattahoochee National Forest of North Georgia, to winter flood control levels by Jan. 1. This is an annual occurrence, said Scott Brooks, TVA spokesman in Knoxville. The lakes are TVA owned and operated reservoirs as tributaries of the Tennessee River.

Q: Regarding former U.S. Sen. Max Cleland, I understand he lost his limbs from dropping a grenade himself, as opposed to the enemy. Is that correct?

— Frank Gonzales, Kennesaw

A: Cleland was seriously wounded in April 1968 while serving as an Army captain in Vietnam when he reached for a grenade that he believed had dropped off his gear. The grenade belonged to another solider, according to previously published reports. Cleland lost both legs and his right arm in the explosion.

Cleland, who was born Aug. 24, 1942, in Atlanta, served in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2003. His new memoir is “Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove.”

Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).