Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Lake Lanier water levels are still very low

February 27, 2017, Cumming - An abandoned houseboat, nicknamed the Museum Houseboat, sits as it waits to be demolished after being dragged away from Lake Lanier in Cumming, Georgia, on Monday, February 27, 2017. After being declared debris, the Lake Lanier Association was able to remove the abandoned houseboat, which is the third vessel removed with state allocated funds this fiscal year. (DAVID BARNES / SPECIAL)

Credit: David Barnes

Credit: David Barnes

February 27, 2017, Cumming - An abandoned houseboat, nicknamed the Museum Houseboat, sits as it waits to be demolished after being dragged away from Lake Lanier in Cumming, Georgia, on Monday, February 27, 2017. After being declared debris, the Lake Lanier Association was able to remove the abandoned houseboat, which is the third vessel removed with state allocated funds this fiscal year. (DAVID BARNES / SPECIAL)
By
March 3, 2017

Lake Lanier is still several feet below full pool, Gwinnett County officials said Friday.

Much of metro Atlanta — including Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth and Fulton counties — remains in Level 2 drought response despite state authorities loosening water restrictions in much of the state on Thursday. That's a direct result of the water levels at Lake Lanier.

“Lake Lanier is a large reservoir, fed by smaller streams that have been slow to recover from the drought,” Gwinnett Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Karen Shields said in a news release. “As a result, Lake Lanier has been slow to refill and is currently 10 feet below full pool.”

MORE: Photos: Lake Lanier water levels, highs and lows

MORE: Watch: Abandoned houseboat crushed on Lake Lanier shores

The 12 Georgia counties that remain in the Level 2 drought response declared in November all lie in the basin of the Chattahoochee River, which feeds into and flows from Lake Lanier. Click here for a full list of those counties.

The ongoing drought levels in metro Atlanta mean outdoor water restrictions. Those include bans on washing streets, sidewalks and driveways; using decorative fountains and waterfalls; non-commercial pressure washing; fundraising car washes; and non-commercial washing of vehicles.

Watering lawns is restricted to two days a week.

Those with even numbered addresses can water between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays; odd numbered addressed can water between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. on Thursdays and Sundays.

A look at the number of incidents at Lake Lanier over the past five years.

About the Author

Before taking over the AJC's Sports Daily newsletter, Tyler Estep spent two years writing the A.M. ATL newsletter. A Gwinnett County native and University of Georgia graduate, he has been with the AJC since 2015 and previously worked as a reporter on the breaking news, hyperlocal and local government teams.

Follow Tyler Estep on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Street view of Winslow at Eagles Landing neighborhood, where large number of homes are owned by investors, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in McDonough. Two companies — Invitation Homes and Progress Residential — each own more than 10,000 homes in the metro Atlanta area as of, or near the end of, the 2nd quarter 2022. In fact, there are 11 companies with ties to private equity that own more than 1,000 homes, according to an AJC analysis. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

Data: Investors now own 30% of metro Atlanta’s single-family rental homes

Sen. Jon Ossoff unveiled new data showing corporate ownership in the region is about 10 times the national average.

Justices struggle with ‘awkward’ Georgia law in hair relaxer cases

Georgia Supreme Court justices grappled Tuesday with an “awkward” state law that could significantly limit hundreds of cases alleging harm from hair relaxer products.

Ossoff launches investigation into corporate takeover of Atlanta housing market

Citing American Dream for Rent, Georgia’s U.S. senator demands answers on bulk purchases of single-family homes.

The Latest

Street view of Winslow at Eagles Landing neighborhood, where large number of homes are owned by investors, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in McDonough. Two companies — Invitation Homes and Progress Residential — each own more than 10,000 homes in the metro Atlanta area as of, or near the end of, the 2nd quarter 2022. In fact, there are 11 companies with ties to private equity that own more than 1,000 homes, according to an AJC analysis. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com

Data: Investors now own 30% of metro Atlanta’s single-family rental homes

New report maps decades-long racial shift in Atlanta neighborhoods

Revamp of Atlanta’s tree protection rules hits another speed bump

Featured

The Thanksgiving air travel period is on as passengers made their way through the airport Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during the holidays can be an ordeal. Parking shortages could disrupt your plans and security waits can be long during busy periods, causing bottlenecks. Hartsfield-Jackson is advising travelers to get to the airport at least 2½ hours before their domestic flight and at least 3 hours before their international flight. (John Spink/AJC)

Credit: John Spink

Failed health inspections sent the Atlanta airport scrambling to fix problems

The Atlanta airport uses a “Quality Assurance Audit” to find potential food safety and customer service issues, but the bump in failures in 2023 and 2024 raises questions.

Trump legislation awaits decision from Kemp as Georgia veto deadline nears

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has a May 14 deadline to sign or veto bills that passed in the 2025 legislative session. Anything he ignores will become law.

Justices struggle with ‘awkward’ Georgia law in hair relaxer cases

Georgia Supreme Court justices grappled Tuesday with an “awkward” state law that could significantly limit hundreds of cases alleging harm from hair relaxer products.