GAINESVILLE - Lake Lanier held steady through January and is predicted to remain at its current levels through next month, but experts say that will not be good enough once warmer weather arrives.
The level of the lake early Monday was 1051.97, up .39 feet since just Friday.
The lake needs rain - and a lot of it - in the next couple of months before spring hits and more water will need to be released to generate hydropower for metro Atlanta. The hotter temperatures will also cause water to evaporate at the lake at a faster rate.
Lisa Coghlan, spokeswoman for the United States Army Corps of Engineers, said Lanier's levels have held fast because the corps is releasing ``only the absolute minimum'' of about 600 cubic feet per second from Buford Dam. And the reservoirs below Lake Lanier are full due to recent rainfall.
Though it rained often last month, the precipitation was more about quality than quantity. National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Konarik said north Georgia was over two inches behind in rainfall in January. The deficit in Gainesville during January was 3.19 inches.
Tuesday
May 6th, 2025
11:12PM
