<p>A faulty gauge is being blamed for Lake Lanier's water level being nearly two feet lower than officials believed, adding a new complication to state officials' concerns about water releases from the lake.</p><p>The U.S. Army of Corps of Engineers said the lake level has been reported at 1067.62 feet, when the actual level is 1065.72, The Gainesville Times reported in Monday editions.</p><p>A calibration error led to water releases totaling a half inch per day more than was necessary over the past 52 days, according to the Corps' report.</p><p>That equals an additional lowering of 1.9 feet. The gauge has been recalibrated so future levels will provide accurate readings.</p><p>Gov. Sonny Perdue, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss and other Georgia officials have been critical of the Corps for water releases this year. They say the corps has released too much water to protect endangered species downstream in Florida without considering the needs of Georgia.</p><p>Pat Robbins, spokesman for the corps in Mobile, Ala., said in a statement over the weekend that the lake level gauge is used to determine inflow into the lake.</p><p>"With the error, we believed more water was entering the lake than was actually occurring," Robbins said. "In the current drought conditions, we operate the system as a run of the river, meaning whatever is entering the lake is released. Since we were getting a faulty reading, we were passing more water than was necessary over the 52-day period."</p><p>He said the corps now was "augmenting flows as necessary for water supply to metro Atlanta, water quality requirements throughout the basin and to protect endangered species in the Apalachicola River."</p><p>The corps warns that lake levels likely will continue to decline throughout the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin if drought conditions persist.</p><p>The corps does not predict lake levels will reach historic lows, but the report said that anticipated levels would have "critical impacts on recreation and hydropower production" as they decline. ___</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc4c0)</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cdc61c)</p>
