The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is “cutting back” on water releases from Lake Lanier into the Chattahoochee River for the weekend, a spokesman said.
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The agency began a continuous water release from Buford Dam on Wednesday afternoon. Lake Lanier’s water levels have exceeded the full pool level of 1,071 feet due to heavy rain, necessitating the release.
The reduction in water release is due to high river levels in the Chattahoochee River watershed, said Chuck Walker, an Army Corps spokesman. The potential for rain over the weekend threatened to exacerbate those high water levels if the releases continued at high levels.
The Army Corps did not provide specifics regarding how much the flow would be decreased.
Jeff McCullough, co-owner of River Tubing in Duluth, said he may be able to re-open his business for the weekend if the reduced flows make the river safe enough. River Tubing employees measure the water’s flow speed and check bacterial levels before making the decision to open, McCullough said.
River Tubing and other water recreation businesses around the river have had to remain closed since the water releases began. The releases caused water speeds to reach unsafe levels.
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