Dock permits suspended as level of Lanier drops

BUFORD - The level of Lake Lanier dropped to 1062.88 early Wednesday, the first time it's been more than eight feet below full pool since April 2009.

And U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Lisa Coughlan said that means the issuance of dock permits has been suspended.

"At low elevations of 1,063, we suspend dock permits until we sustain elevations of 1,064," Coughlan said. "The purpose of suspending it is because we have to determine at the bulkhead where the dock would tie into the water's edge, meaning an elevation of 1,064."

Corps spokesman Patrick Robbins said earlier this year that a lack of rainfall during the spring and summer was having a tremendous impact on the level of Lanier, that "inflows" were "way down."

The level has now declined more than 1.61 feet since the first of the month, and is down nearly six feet from this time last year.

By Thursday morning, it had dropped some more, to 1962.72.