From 11alive.com
Lake Lanier, Ga. — Lake Lanier finds itself between a dam and a wet place.
Usually this time of year, Lanier has plenty of room to catch and hold the run-off from the winter and spring rains.
But today the lake is above its full level. The Army Corps of Engineers may have to choose between flooding below Buford Dam, and flooding behind it.
Take everything you’ve known about Lake Lanier over the past several years and turn it upside down.
“We have to flip the switch,” said the Army Corps’ Chris Lovelady. “From drought management to flood management.”
Right now the lake level is about a foot and a half above its capacity.
Think of Lake Lanier as a bucket under a leaky roof. As long as there’s room in the bucket it can hold the water. But if the roof continues to leak — and the bucket is full — either you have to drain the bucket or you’re going to have quite a mess.
You’re looking at the water release equivalent of flooring the accelerator: all three turbines — wide open. The goal is to drop the lake another two and a half feet — to 1,070 — by December first…in time for what’s forecast to be heavier than normal winter and spring rains.
“It allows for future rain events that are possibly going to be significant” said the Army Corps’ Chris Lovelady. “We would expect that. It allows us to capture the flood waters.”
But if the predicted heavy rains come, the streams and rivers below Lake Lanier could flood again.
“If there’s flooding downstream” said Lovelady, “we don’t want to send this downstream to make the flooding worse.”
And if the Army Corps can’t release water from Lanier, the lake will back up.
The current water level at Lake Lanier is ten seventy two point fifty one.
The all time record is ten seventy seven.
The army corps warns that the expected heavy rains this winter could threaten that record.
“The lake’s up in the trees” Lovelady said. “The docks are in the trees. The parks are significantly affected. Beaches are totally underwater for the most part. Boat ramps are inaccessible.”
It’s a race between sending water downstream and the arrival of the rainy season…and there’s no way to get a bigger bucket.
