If you live around Lake Lanier, you're likely not surprised that the level is now almost 9 feet lower than full pool.
As of 6 a.m. Friday, the level was 1062.24, according to the U.S Geological Survey; full pool is 1071.
Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said they are worried about boaters and swimmers not being careful in the water. Lots of people are still using the lake because the weather has been so warm this fall, according to Nicholas Baggett, a Natural Resource Manager with USACE.
Baggett told Georgia News Network they are trying to mark the more dangerous areas on Lanier.
"When the lake gets at different points, we starting putting out what's called watermelon buoys," Baggett said. "They're round orange or red markers marking these spots that have become hazards."
While Corps-managed swimming areas on Lanier have all been closed, Baggett said he knows some people are still swimming. The big danger is jumping or diving from boats or from docks.
"You can have some hazards appear such as rocks or even the bottom of the shoreline and you can actually be killed or have some type of spinal injury," Baggett said.
He said it is becoming more difficult for boaters to find an entry point into the lake, since many boat ramps around Lanier have been closed.
