Six months after drought parched its shores, Lake Lanier is brimming.
The state’s largest lake is at levels not seen in 10 years, and those who depend on it for their livelihood are buoyed by prospects of large crowds this weekend for the unofficial start of summer.
“Everybody’s just tickled to death to see all that water,” Bald Ridge Marina operator John Stovall said. “There are a lot more people coming in here looking at boats.”
That wasn’t the case last November, when receding waters cost Stovall slots for boats at his business in Cumming.
Stovall said the slots are filling back up quickly.
“I feel like this is going to be a better season than we’ve had in a long time,” he said.
Lake Lanier’s water level stands at just over 1,073 feet above sea level. That’s 2 feet above its optimum level or “full pool.”
Earlier this month, it reached 1,073.68, a level not seen since May 2003.
Since that time, residents and businesses went through one of the worst droughts in the lake’s history, seeing levels dip to 50-year lows in 2008. Levels remained 10 feet or more below full pool throughout the entire boating season that year.
A 2010 report commissioned by the nonprofit 1071 Coalition found that from 2007 to 2008 annual earnings fell 11.6 percent for commercial marinas on leased land. Annual visits fell by 11 percent, and overnight stays dropped 13 percent.
The drought had a ripple effect on property, too, as home values ebbed with the lake level.
But as memories of past troubles recede, boaters are looking ahead to the weekend.
Dawna Baker of Lawrenceville and her husband Nelson were scared they might bottom out last fall when they took their boat on the lake. They also worried the receding water would cost them their slot at the marina.
The winter and spring recharge has changed all that.
“We are seeing an increase in activity on the water and anticipate a very busy, fun summer,” she said.
Joanna Cloud, president of the Lake Lanier Association, which represents 1,700 households and businesses at the lake, said the weather forecast, along with the revitalized lake level, promises to draw huge crowds this weekend.
“We were out Monday night, and it was gorgeous,” she said. “I think we’re all very optimistic about how the season is going to shake out.”
Cloud said she is working overtime to promote safety at the lake in the aftermath of last year's troubles.Two young brothers, Jake and Griffin Prince, were killed in a collision with another boat operated by a man who was allegedly drunk. Less than a month later, Kyle Glover, the stepson of musician Usher, died when he was struck by a craft while in the water.
The two tragedies spurred the General Assembly this year to pass a new boater safety law lowering the blood alcohol limit for operators from .10 to .08. The new law also requires operators to pass an online test and requires those under 13 to wear life jackets while the boat is in motion, unless they are in an enclosed cabin.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will have 12 rangers patrolling the lake each day looking for violators.
“If they do a vessel stop, they’re going to be looking to see whether there’s a designated operator if there’s alcohol aboard,” Col. Eddie Henderson said. “It’s going to be a busy weekend.”
Henderson said operators also should check that their vessels have all their lights in working order if they plan to be out after sundown.
“The biggest thing is that they follow the rules of the road while they’re out on the lake,” he said. “Those are the things officers are looking for when they’re out on patrol.”
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