This is going to be one of the busiest Memorial Day weekends that Lake Lanier has seen in quite awhile.  The water level is near full pool at 1070.86.  Don't forget to bring your patience and life jackets when you go on the water this weekend.  Patrol boats will out in force ensuring that people stay safe on the water.  Here is a breakdown of the patrols:

Georgia DNR= 5 patrol boats
Forsyth County Sheriff's= 2 patrol boats and 2 patrol jetskis
Hall County Sheriff's= 1 patrol boat and 2 patrol jetskis
The Hall County Fire Boat will also be stationed on the lake

Memorial Day weekend was a mix of clouds, sun, and some spotty showers.  Despite the clouds, people came out to the lake to enjoy the holiday.  Lake Lanier was a safe place this weekend with very few accidents and only a couple of citations issued.  Four boaters were issued citations by the Georgia DNR for boating under the influence.  Elsewhere in the state, there were 7 citations issued for boating under the influence.  A tubing accident resulted in minor injuries.  Also minor injuries were reported after two personal watercrafts collided.  As Memorial Day marks the start of summer, we can only hope that the visitors to Lake Lanier continue to be safe around the water.

Gov. Sonny Perdue was at Lake Lanier on Tuesday to sign several water conservation bills.  One of the bills prohibits outdoor watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when evaporation is most likely to occur.  Supposedly this bill is designed to send Florida and Alabama a message that Georgians are serious about water consumption.

A 27 year old man is presummed dead after sliding into Lake Lanier from a houseboat on Sunday.  Rough weather halted the search for the man in deep water a half mile from the shore.  The water temperature is 65 degrees which allows hypothermia to set in a short amount of time.  The search teams from Forsyth and Hall counties will resume the search on Tuesday.  This is the first drowning at Lake Lanier this year.  With the lake level high, more people will flock to Lake Lanier this year.  Hopefully this will be the first and last drowning this year.  Play it safe and wear a life jacket if you enter the water. 

The current water level at Lanier is 1071.79 and rising.  The lake level is 9.48 inches above full pool.

We knew it was coming but why did it take so long? Today, Georgia finally filed an appeal to the federal ruling that could keep metro Atlanta from using water in Lake Lanier for drinking water and development.  Lake Lanier is Atlanta's primary water supply for over 3 million people.  Sonny Perdue, the Georgia Governor, continues to meet with the governors of Alabama and Florida to try to reach a water sharing deal.  The fact remains that it has been ruled that Georgia has no rights to the water at Lake Lanier to serve as drinking water for Atlanta.  As it currently stands, Georgia has to find other sources of water.  Which hopefully come sooner rather than later!

Lake Lanier is currently at 1070.15 which is less than a foot from full pool.  Get out and enjoy Lake Lanier this weekend!  

Heavy rain has returned to Lake Lanier and the water level remains consistent so far at 1070.56 and currently rising.  Rain is expected the remainder of the week so the lake level will certainly continue to rise.  Swollen streams and creeks south of Buford Dam has temporarily slowed the water releases from Buford Dam.

This past weekend, tragedy occurred just south of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River.  Two fishermen were on the river when the water started to rise because of a release from Buford Dam.  The fishing boat capsized throwing both men into extremely cold , rushing water.  I am unsure if the men could hear the alarm from Buford Dam from their location on the river.  

Lake Lanier is at near full pool and the COE is having to release water from the lake at a steady pace.  If you going to be out on the river you need to be sure to do the following:

1.  Call 770-945-1466 to get a water release schedule before going to the river.

2.  Be observant while on the river.  If you notice the water rising then you need to quickly exit the river.

3.  Always wear a life jacket.  The water conditions on the Chattahoochee River is nothing to guess about.  If you get thrown out of your boat or raft you will need a life jacket to keep you afloat.  The water temperature on the river is very cold year around so hypothermia is a high risk.  

4.  Listen for the Buford Dam alarm.  The alarm will sound before a water release.  If you hear the alarm then quickly exit the river.

Lake Lanier is at 1070.32 which is only a short drop from summer full pool at 1071.  Finally some mild weather has returned to Lake Lanier this weekend with highs in the lower 60s.  If you don't mind the cold water it is a great weekend to go for a boat ride.  Don't worry boaters, spring is around the corner despite the snow we had earlier in the week. 

We have had a very wet winter and we typically have our wet season in the spring.  With Lake Lanier near full pool there is not a lot of capacity available to hold the rainfall from the "rainy season". The COE has been releasing water at Lake Lanier to keep room at Lake Lanier for additional water.