Lake Lanier Association officials say they, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Marine Specialties, Inc., pulled three abandoned vessels from the lake this past week.
Jennifer Flowers, executive director of the association, said a house boat, a pontoon boat and a sailboat were all pulled from the lake Wednesday.
"The sailboat and pontoon boat were taken by the Corps and actually impounded by the Corps at their facilities and then we contracted with Marine Specialties to remove the sinking houseboat off of the south end of the lake," Flowers said.
Flowers said the removal of the three vessels, referred to by the association as "The Trio" had been in the works since March, when the association identified them as hazards for the lake. She said a $25,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources earlier this year helped them fund the removals.
The primary reason the association wanted the vessels removed, Flowery said, was potential pollution.
"The vessels are more than just an eyesore. They have gas, they have oil in them," Flowers said. "This houseboat, for instance, was tied down with just tons of stuff. It had electronics on there, it had metal, glass, oil, gas cans, fiberglass insulation, anything that would be on a normal houseboat plus a lot more."
Flowers said that houseboat was only partially submerged when Marine Specialties removed it, preventing the contents of the vessel from polluting the lake.
Flowers also said the owners of the vessels have been issued citations and have lost dock permits for abandoning them. She said anyone who needs to get rid of a boat should contact the Lake Lanier Association rather than abandoning them.
"We are happy to point them in the right direction. Paying the $500 disposal fee is far better than going to prison," Flowers said. "We are investigating where they're coming from. We're finding owners. The DNR is an active participant in this."
She said there are 14 more vessels the Lake Lanier Association is looking into removing, including two houseboats.
