Managing lake level a challenge

GAINESVILLE - Lake Lanier is close to full pool right now, and it should stay that way through the summer, if Mother Nature will cooperate.

Patrick Robbins with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said managing the level of Lake Lanier is tricky business, especially since summer storms typically drop water much differently than do winter storms.

"[With summer storms] your bottom lakes start to fill up faster than the lakes at the northern end of the river basin, so you have to look not only at what's going on at Lake Lanier, but all the way down in Florida," said Robbins.

The goal is to have Lanier at full pool of 1071-feet by May 1. Robbins noted that based on the five-week weather outlook, achieving that level should not be a problem.

Robbins also said, despite what the average lake area resident may think, engineers have carefully planned the maintenance of the lake level. In other words, Lanier can't be filled higher than 1071 because there needs to be a "buffer" for those times rain is extra heavy. And, keeping the level too high also can be damaging to Lanier's shoreline.

Robbins was a guest on the Thursday edition of WDUN's "The Local Hour."